Hareheart
by Rainstar of ShadowClan
Summary: Life in CreviceClan can be difficult. One must accept the initial unfair treatment and do as he is told, or face the consequences. Hareheart and his two sisters, Fishreek and Thornhide, are born into this terrible life, but many more challenges await. Will they be able to survive, or will they discover a new and better life just beyond the border? Rated T for violence & slight gore
1. Prologue

"Great, we're stuck with three of these little helpless brats," growled a she-cat as she analyzed the results of her pregnancy. It was a clear, cool leaf-bare day, with white, pristine snow littered throughout the camp of CreviceClan. The she-cat, whose sleek, glossy pelt matched the color of the snow, was also accompanied in the medicine cat den with the medicine cat himself, Tickface, who was trembling beneath his shaggy fur with eyes wide with fear. The queen's mate, Brookwind, stood by her side, towering above the others and holding his head high.

Brookwind snorted at his mate's comment and wrapped his tail around hers. "Remind me again why you wanted those things, Snowfeather," he breathed in her ear, paying no attention to the three kits that were experiencing the outside world for the first time. An unusually tiny white kit with an obvious black spot on its hindquarters scampered on puny legs towards its mother, who viciously kicked it out of her sight.

"These trivial little pieces of fox dung had better appreciate how much pain I went through to bring them to this stupid world," Snowfeather hissed, flashing a glare at the whimpering kits on the ground that were now cuddling against each other for warmth. She turned her fierce gaze to Tickface, who immediately shrank back in fear.

"Get these brats to my den," she demanded. Tickface nodded swiftly and gently grasped a kit in his mouth. As he headed to Snowfeather's den, a small, dark cave that was reserved for the deputy of the Clan, he could feel her gaze burning a hole through his back. He held his head low and rushed forward and back, although he was careful not to bounce each kit. When all the kits had been safely transported, Tickface received a hard smack on the back of his head as a reward for his labor. Snowfeather then grunted and followed the kits into her den, while Brookwind padded out to the forest to hunt.

Breathing a sigh of relief to at last be alone, Tickface shuffled back into his den. From the back of the den he heard a muffled cry of pain. Tickface rushed over to the patient who was back there. The patient was an orange tabby whose formerly bright green eyes were now clouded with pain and grief. Her pelt was covered in dust and wounds, some fresher than others. One of her paws was bent in an awkward position and smothered in cobwebs and smashed herbs. Her cry, however, resulted from a deep, savage wound in her side. Blood was seeping through the cobwebs. Tickface reacted as soon as he saw the scene before him, bolting to where he stored his herbs. He picked out a few as fast as he could, grabbed some more cobwebs, and hurried back. As he applied them, the patient's face relaxed and she seemed to drift off into her mind.

Outside the den, a commotion was stirring up. A new apprentice, Dirtbreath, had returned from a hunting mission issued from his master, Serpentfang, a huge, menacing yellow tabby. The unfortunate apprentice had brought back only a scrawny mouse, nothing more, even though he was given all of the afternoon to hunt. Tickface, who couldn't help but listen as he completed his task, felt pity for Dirtbreath, as he knew, even in the harsh days of leaf bare, a mere mouse would not satisfy any master. Serpentfang, who had been discussing matters with his fellow masters, looked up with distaste in his eyes as his apprentice approached. Dirtbreath, unaware of the issue, held the story of how hard he had worked to catch the mouse hanging in his jaws on the tip of his tongue, but began to tremble in fear when he saw the look in his master's eyes.

Knowing what could be in store for him, Dirtbreath tried to save himself. "I'm sorry! I'll go out and get more at once, sir!"

Serpentfang, expressionless, remained silent as the other masters began to gather around with cruel, impish expressions on their faces.

Serpentfang then gave a sly grin, enjoying the attention of his fellow clan mates. "Don't think you can escape your fate that easily, Dirtbreath." He spat out the name of his apprentice as if it were a vile curse. Other apprentices hung back, their eyes wide with fear as Serpentfang raised a paw in the air, unsheathing his claws. His grin stretched wider as they gleamed in the pale sunlight. As he prepared to strike the fatal blow, Tickface looked away. He would have another patient soon.


	2. The First Task

A kit was to be named tonight. Before the sun set on that night, the news spread throughout CreviceClan faster than leaves blowing in the wind. Snowstar, the new leader, stood upon Highledge as the sun fell below the horizon with her unnamed son and her mate, Brookwind, directly below.

Her son, a white tom with a black spot on his back, was unusually tiny. There were smirks and snickers as the tom stepped forward and Snowstar began the ceremony. Her voice sounded dull and tired, as if she couldn't wait to get this over with. "Tonight we have gathered to waste our time appointing this tiny scrap of fur a name," she droned, addressing her son as if he was no more than a dead rat stretched across the Thunderpath. "Oh, you wicked beasts of the Dark Forest, may you curse this young brat for all eternity, and may he rot in his new humiliating name." She paused for a few pain-staking moments, then continued. "I now appoint my son the name of Hareheart."

As customary, roars of laughter and hooting erupted in the once silent camp. The newly named Hareheart hung his head low in shame as he accepted his fate. He risked a glance at the crowd below him, the cats going wild. _I'd better get used to this, _he told himself. When at last the crowd at cleared, Hareheart raised his head and stared unexpectedly right into the eyes of his mother. He jumped in surprise, causing Snowstar to grin cruelly. "Aw, Hareheart, you're already living up to your name," she cooed. Hareheart's heart sank. "Why not you go get some rest and sleep outside in a ditch with your siblings?" Laughing at her own cruel remark, Snowstar padded away, at last leaving Hareheart to his own devices.

He let out a long sigh. As he was the smallest of the litter, his two sisters had already been named. Thornhide and Fishreek. They too had received hideous names and humiliation on their ceremonies. Apprentices were not permitted to sleep within the camp; they were condemned to the outer territory. Up to this day, Hareheart had slept in his mother's den, although this was hardly a comfort. She would always swipe and bite at him for no reason whatsoever. Dismissing his thoughts, Hareheart wasted no more time. If he lingered in camp any longer he would be punished. With a heavy heart he padded out of camp to find his sisters. After what seemed like an interminable search in the dark, Hareheart at last found his sisters sound asleep in a hollow log.

"Hey," he whispered, nudging them awake. "Mind if I stay the night with you?" While Thornhide was blinking away the sleep, Fishreek was instantly wide awake.

"So you've been named?" Hareheart nodded.

Fishreek seemed to hesitate, but then lashed out with a bold question. "What's the name?" Thornhide seemed to have awakened, as she leaned forward to hear his answer.

"Hareheart." Thornhide dropped her gaze to the ground, while Fishreek instantly replied, "It's not all bad, brother. They always seem to give the females the worst names."

Hareheart simply nodded again. Once they had known each others' names, the three rarely spoke them again so as not to humiliate each other.

"Come on," Thornhide said suddenly. "Get some sleep, brother. You'll feel better in the morning."

Yet they all knew this was not true. The next day only promised more humiliation and pain, and for Hareheart, the first day of training. The first day was always the hardest, and he had yet to know who would be teaching him.

Hareheart mewed good night to his sisters, who were already settling back down, and curled into a tight ball, his fur brushing Thornhide's in the cramped space. After some time, he managed to fall asleep.

He woke to Fishreek's paw prodding his side, and her voice in his ears. "Brother, wake up! You'd better get used to waking up on your own; I can't do this every morning."

Groaning, Hareheart scrambled to his feet and followed Fishreek back to camp. A few cats sneered in his direction, but otherwise he was left alone. Fishreek dashed ahead to find her master and begin her training. Hareheart, unsure of what to do, stood in the middle of the camp until he saw his mother approaching with an indignant look on her face. "You oblivious little brat, you should have asked me about your master instead of standing around waiting for something to happen. Life only gets worse from here on." She seemed to enjoy saying the last phrase. "Your master is Pantherclaw, go find her."

Hareheart felt a lump rise in his throat. From what he had observed, Pantherclaw was not the exactly the jolly type. In fact, she was quite the opposite, seeming to enjoy ripping her claws through flesh for the smallest of excuses. He should have expected his mother would not make his task easy. Although this was rarely achieved, all apprentices, in order to become advance in rank, had to earn the respect of their master. With a master like Pantherclaw, Hareheart would be her slave for all eternity. His stomach tied in knots, he slowly turned away from his mother to accept his fate. After scanning the clearing, he eventually spotted his master, a sleek, lithe black she-cat with dark brown eyes and a rather muscular body. He headed towards his doom.

As Hareheart approached, Pantherclaw looked up, a sneer plastered on her muzzle and dark pleasure in her eyes. "Why hello, my little victim of an apprentice," she hinted, leering at him. "Shall we get started?"

Before Hareheart could reply, Pantherclaw rose to her feet. As she towered above him, she addressed him. "Let's start with some hunting, huh? Go catch three mice. I want them by this afternoon." When she saw the protest in Hareheart's eyes, she grinned cruelly and added," Oh, and a nice, long snake while you're at it."

Hareheart's insides seethed with worry. How could he get three mice and a snake in leaf bare? With his seemingly impossible task ahead of him, Hareheart began to leave, anxious to start as soon as possible.

"Don't be late!" Pantherclaw called after him, her voice like poisoned honey. "You know what will happen if you're late."

Hareheart knew, but did not wish to recall a scene he had seen as mere kit, and again later on. He trudged out to the forest, his difficult task the only thing on his mind. The twinkling snow hanging on the trees and covering the ground under his paws did little to renew his spirits. He had never hunted before, and had no knowledge of where to find his prey. He veered off the left, hoping to find something, anything. He heard the distant chirping of a bird, but it was no mouse or serpent. But he hesitated, his stomach churning with hunger. He had not eaten in two days. Seized by a sudden urge, he decided he would attempt to catch the bird as something to eat.

He headed towards the direction in which the bird song was coming from, his paw steps muffled by the snow beneath him. When he had his target in sight, he discovered that the bird was perched on a low branch of a young tree, only a few tail-lengths from the ground.

_If I leap high enough, I should be able to get it, _he told himself firmly. He made an attempt at a crouch and crept towards his prey, but despite the snow, which should have defeaned his movements, he was still too loud and clumsy. The bird heard him, stopped singing, and flew off.

Hareheart cried out in frustration and sat down in the snow. He watched as a snowflake slowly floated down and landed directly on his nose. In his foul mood, Hareheart simply brushed it off and sat back up, but when he saw that the sun was rather high in the sky, he realized that he was running out of time.

"No, no, no…" he moaned and was up and running in a flash. He ran blindly through the forest, oblivious to the ruckus he was causing. _Three mice, and a snake, three mice and a snake, three mice and a snake_. He repeated this phrase over and over again in his mind, knowing he could never achieve it now. When he returned to camp empty-pawed, he would receive the beating of his life, and would then be expected to finish his task that night.

In his fear and confusion, Hareheart suddenly tripped over something unusually warm. If it weren't for his curiosity, Hareheart would've stayed face-first in the snow until he froze to death. With a heavy sigh he stood up and inspected what he had tripped upon, and gasped. Three mice and a snake! Hareheart couldn't believe his eyes. Three dead mice and a snake were lying in the snow as if waiting for him, their beady eyes glazed over. Hareheart looked all around him, although he had no idea what he was expecting to see. Where had they come from?

Shaking his head, Hareheart grasped the prey in his jaws and dragged it back to camp. Even though the evidence was in his jaws, Hareheart still couldn't believe his luck. Or was it luck? He had no idea, only that somehow he could complete his task for today. But would he be as lucky tomorrow?


	3. Shame

When Hareheart arrived at camp with the prey in his jaws, he could've sworn he saw a hint of disappointment in Pantherclaw's dark eyes.

"Put it in the pile, you rat," she ordered simply. Hareheart obeyed, depositing his findings into the fresh kill pile. "Now, come with me."

As Pantherclaw turned and started towards the masters' den, Hareheart wondered what hideous task lay ahead of him. He could only hope his luck would last. He recalled hearing stories from his siblings when they were kits about the horrors of training they had picked up from numerous apprentices. So far he felt as though he had been spared the true wrath of his master, but he knew that before the next full moon, he would be scarred, both mentally and physically.

"Hareheart, you fool!" Pantherclaw spat suddenly. Hareheart started, and was pulled from his thoughts. "Quit daydreaming and look on the scene before you. I want you to clean this den thoroughly." Hareheart observed the scene as he was ordered. The den was a wreck.

"Now, I will only say this once, so listen carefully." He raised his head and stared at Pantherclaw's nose, unable to look her directly in the eye. "I want the moss replaced with dry, clean moss, the floor washed, any bugs or insects removed, and for the den to be simply spotless. Work quickly. Begin now. I will observe you."

His head piled high with all the information given to him, Hareheart entered the den and swept the area with his eyes. He sighed. _This is going to be tough. _He glanced behind him, where Pantherclaw lay watching him contently, her face expressionless. _And having her watching isn't going to help. _

Hareheart began by pawing at a moss bed until it was shaped like a sphere. He grasped the moss ball, its sour, filthy taste filling his mouth, and carried to out to the forest, despite how much he longed to spit it out. Feeling his master's intense gaze focused on him, he dropped the ball and came back for more. When he came back from depositing the last of the moss, his eyes were watering and the stench filled his nose and mouth. When he risked another glance, he saw a sly smile creeping up Pantherclaw's muzzle.

_She's enjoying this, _he thought to himself, but there was nothing he could do but continue to work. So he took on the next part: cleaning the floor. Without the moss, the bottom of the den was simply stone. Upon closer inspection, he found that the stone was streaked with dirt, and could indeed use some washing. So he headed to a nearby stream to get some damp moss.

As soon as Hareheart was out of his master's sight, he let out a sigh of relief. He was relieved to no longer feel her merciless gaze burning holes through his back. But as he approached the stream, he heard the soft sound of a twig cracking not too far from where he stood. He scanned the area with his eyes, but saw nothing. With a shrug he dismissed the thought of the sound and dipped his paws in the stream, enjoying the feel of the cool, clear water splashing at his pads. He then leaned forward and lapped up some water, tiny droplets dripping from his chin as he stood up. Returning to the main reason he had come, Hareheart then picked up some nearby moss and dipped it in the stream. With the damp moss in his jaws, Hareheart began to pad back to camp, but stopped when he saw something in the corner of his eye, the bushes behind him rustling suspiciously. He couldn't dismiss these clues as easily. He was being followed.

Turning abruptly to face the sound of the bushes, he let the moss fall to the ground with a plop and called, "Who's there?"

He received only silence, which somehow turned his blood cold. He turned around once more, ready to catch anything suspicious.

"H-hello?" Another rustle. He whipped around, his tail lashing, his fur bristling. He wasn't going to show his fear.

"Show yourself!" More silence. Then he heard a final rustle and the crunching of twigs, and then nothing. The threat was gone. Breathing heavily, Hareheart wasted no more time. He snatched up the moss as quicky as he could and dashed back to camp. He burst through the entrance and bumped straight into Fishreek. She nearly lost her balance, but caught herself just in time.

"Hareheart!" she cried. "What's the rush for?" Hareheart winced. The use of his name stung. As he scrambled to his feet he heard snickers from some masters who had witnessed the situation.

"I'll tell you later," he hissed. Snatching the moss again from where he had dropped it, he ran off into the masters' den to finish his task without waiting for a reply. Once safely inside, he collapsed on the floor, shaking off the cold fear he had felt earlier. But soon he became aware once more of Pantherclaw's intense gaze, so he stood up and began to scrub the floor of the den with the damp moss.

When he was finished he scooped out a bug or two, and then headed back to the forest for some fresh moss, despite how very much he wished he didn't have to go. He did not want to face whatever had been stalking him before, but he had no choice. Hopefully it was long gone by now. Clinging to this hope, he soon found himself back in the forest, but he made sure to stay close to the camp. He found some moss, and raced back to camp with it hanging in his mouth in a flash. After making several speedy trips, he soon had enough. He laid the moss down in the form of beds and then stepped back to admire his work. It was good enough. Hoping Pantherclaw would agree, Hareheart padded over to her and reported that he was finished.

Pantherclaw gave him a vicious cuff to the head. "Took you long enough," she snapped, and then headed inside to have a look.

Hareheart watched from outside as she felt the hastily made moss beds, ran her tongue along the floor, and scanned every little crack in the den with her ferocious gaze. He began to doubt he had done well. When Pantherclaw had finished, she stood in the entrance and beckoned for him to come in.

_Uh oh, _Hareheart thought nervously. His heart sank. He managed to drag his paws over to her, as they had suddenly become quite heavy. When he entered, she suddenly lashed out with a huge forepaw and swiped him across the cheek. He tasted blood. Wondering desperately what he had done wrong, Hareheart took the hit and gazed down at his paws. He soon found his face shoved down in a moss bed, and Pantherclaw's cruel voice in his ear.

"Look," she ordered, pushing him down further. "Tell me what you see!"

At that moment, Hareheart wanted more than anything to disappear and leave his wicked tormentor. Licking the blood off his muzzle, he managed to open his eyes. Filling his vision was a tiny brown beetle. Cursing at himself for being so careless, he muttered, "A beetle, master."

"What was that?" she asked coldly, shoving Hareheart even further until his nose touched the hide of the tiny insect.

"A beetle, master!" he repeated, wanting desperately to be released.

"And do you know why I am pointing this out?" Pantherclaw didn't bother waiting for a reply. "Because you didn't follow orders!" her voice roared in his ear. "Now dispose of this offending object at once!"

In the position he was in, Hareheart wondered how he could even achieve this. "H-how?" he stammered, although he wasn't sure if he would like the answer.

"Eat it!" she demanded, her grip tightening. "Digest the beast in your foul little body!"

Hareheart groaned. He soon became aware that this awful event wasn't passing through unnoticed. He could hear snickers and laughs nearby. "Please…" he begged, although he knew she would not release him until he did as she demanded. He felt her digging her claws into his side. It stung terribly, and it took all his strength not to cry out in pain. _I'd better get this over with, _he told himself and, in a flash, he lapped the beetle into his mouth and bit down. It tasted awful. Spitting out the shell, he managed to swallow the rest of it, and breathed a sigh of relief when he felt the grip loosen.

"Don't fail me again, Hareheart," Pantherclaw whispered in his ear before releasing him entirely. She padded out of the den, receiving many cheers of approval from the crowd. Hareheart lay in the position she had left him, waiting for the crowd to leave. When at last everyone was gone, he relaxed his body and began to whimper pathetically. He couldn't help it. Covering his head with his paws, he let out the feelings he had tried to hard to hide in the awful situation, and then began to lick up the blood. Finally, his head hung low in shame, he dragged himself outside to find his sisters. At least he had the rest of the day to himself.


	4. Rescue

Hareheart trudged half-heartedly to the forest beyond the camp as the sun began to fall below the horizon, wondering how he was going to explain what had happened to his sisters. He couldn't bear the thought of their sympathy at the moment, but he decided to face them anyway. When he reached the hollow log, he was slightly relieved to see that they weren't there. But as he came closer, he saw Thornhide on the other side of the log, licking a wicked scratch in one of her pads. He noticed a sharp point sticking out of the wound, and the injury around the point itself was an unsettling color. Now worrying about what she had gotten herself into, he addressed her.

"Sister, what happened?" he asked quietly as he settled down beside her. He was reminded of his own condition when he saw the horrified look she gave him.

"I just stepped on a thorn, that's all," Thornhide whispered, her gaze fixed upon the wound in her pad. Hareheart could tell she had left out part of the story, but decided it would be best not to interrogate her further.

"It looks like it could be infected," he remarked, taking a glance at her. She had yet to look him in the eye. They both knew only masters could see the medicine cat unless it was a matter of life or death.

Thornhide hesitated, then managed to inquire, "What happened to you? How was your first day of training?"

"I…well…" Hareheart recalled the moment in the forest when he had been sure that he was being watched, and the terrible incident when he was accused of leaving an insect in the masters' den. He had had quite the day. When he glanced back at his sister and filled his gaze with her dark, troubled eyes, eyes that were concerned for him, he decided he would tell some of the truth.

"I did alright on my first hunting test, but when I was ordered to clean the masters' den…" Hareheart paused, not sure how he would explain it to her. He lowered his head as he finished with, "I left a beetle in the den and was forced to eat it."

While he missed his sister's expression, he was sure he could've guessed at it. In the awkward silence that followed, Hareheart heard the sound of soft paw steps padding on the snow. He looked up and saw Fishreek, a rabbit dangling from her jaws. When she met his eyes, she too gained a horrified expression. She rushed toward him and cried, "Brother! Oh, what happened to you?" Before he could reply, she dropped her catch at his paws.

"Eat it, as I'm sure you haven't had the time to eat anything today," she offered, nudging it closer.

Touched by her generosity, but also disgusted at the thought of what else he had eaten earlier that day, Hareheart gobbled up the rabbit in a few bites. It felt good to have a decent meal.

"Now…tell me, what happened?" Fishreek lay down in front of him. Though Hareheart could hardly bear to mention what had happened once more, he was once again touched by the concern he saw in her eyes. With a sigh, he repeated what he had explained to Thornhide, who had returned to licking her wound.  
>When he finished, he was surprised to seem determination alight in Fishreek's bright green eyes. "Brother," she began, "You will show that wicked beast of a master. One day you'll show her what a great brother you are, and she'll feel awful for having treated you that way."<p>

While Hareheart doubted this, he wasn't about to spoil her spirit. "We'll see," he murmured. Content with this reply, Fishreek turned around and began to question Thornhide on what had happened to her paw. Hareheart couldn't help but notice that once again Thornhide seemed to be hiding something as she gave her sister the same answer.

Dismissing his worry, Hareheart lay down, tucking in his paws, and turned his attention away. From all around them, he heard the sound of crickets chirping. He enjoyed the stillness, the calm of the moment. He let his gaze travel upward where the night sky was alight with twinkling lights. He had always wondered what those lights were, and how he could feel so at peace when looking at them. Feeling his eyelids become heavy, Hareheart gave in to his desire to sleep and curled up in a ball. Soon Thornhide and Fishreek stopped talking, and they too curled up and tried to fall asleep.

But as they drifted off to sleep, Hareheart instead found himself brooding over the suspicious events that had happened that day. He was deeply troubled of the fact that someone or something had been following him. What had they wanted from him? And did they have to do with the three mice and the snake he happened to trip over rather conveniently? Questions swarming in his mind, Hareheart finally managed to fall into a troubled sleep.

Hareheart awoke to the morning sunlight shining through a hole in the log. Fishreek and Thornhide were gone, likely out training already. Worrying he might be late, Hareheart made a dash for the camp. As he ran, he observed that most of the snow had melted overnight and he felt rather warm. He even noticed a few buds on the trees surrounding him, holding the promise of new leaves. New leaf was just around the corner.

When he neared the camp, he gasped in fear when he saw Pantherclaw waiting for him by the entrance. She stood tall and swished her tail impatiently when she saw him.

"You're late," she snapped, roughly cuffing him over the ear. Hareheart took the hit and looked down, unable to meet her eyes. "Come with me." She led the way back into the forest. Hareheart glanced back at the camp entrance as he walked, watching as it disappeared behind them in the trees. He was alone in the forest with his ruthless master. She could do anything to him, and no one would ever know. Afraid of what was in store him, he silently trudged on, his head full of awful possibilities. He would run away if he had the guts to, but if he was caught, she would likely beat him to death, or even worse, near death. He shuddered at the thought.

When Pantherclaw stopped in a dusty clearing, Hareheart gulped. His sisters had mentioned how they had fought with their masters in this very clearing. This was the battle training grounds.

As soon as he entered the clearing, he was knocked off his paws in a blur of movement. As he cried out and fell on his side, a shadow loomed over him. He heard Pantherclaw's voice in his ear as he scrambled back up. "You've got to be quicker than that." Hareheart panicked as he saw her return to her position at the opposite end of the clearing and take an intimidating stance, her claws unsheathed and gleaming in the morning light.

He didn't know how to fight. Like hunting, fighting skills were not taught in CreviceClan; apprentices had to learn as they went. So now he had to face his powerful, skilled master in her element when he had never even considered facing another cat before in battle. The very thought scared him.

So, naturally, he was very nervous and frightened as he faced Pantherclaw. His heart was galloping with fear. While he tried to establish a more sturdy position so he could at least look like he knew something, Hareheart glimpsed Pantherclaw out of the corner of his eye approaching on his left. He held his ground, although he was shaking and fidgeting, and even managed to look her in the eye as they circled each other. Her ferocious glare quickly chased his gaze away, however. Suddenly Pantherclaw surged forward, her claws lashing out at him, and Hareheart surprised himself when he leaped off to the side at the last moment. He felt the wind of her movement whip past his face, but he remained unscathed.

Her tail lashing in irritation, Pantherclaw turned to face him once more. Hareheart looked down at his paws, still hopped a little from foot to foot, getting the feel of it. He decided he might be able to worm his way out of fighting by simply dodging all her attacks. Maybe she would let him off then.

When he jumped away a second time, her sharp claws grazed his fur, tearing off a few chunks but not touching the skin beneath. He was safe again. But then he winced when he saw the piercing anger in her eyes as she circled him again. She was not pleased; he could see it too in her ruffled, spiked fur, her tail that was now whipping the air savagely, and the ugly frown on her face. She wanted to hurt him, and he wouldn't leave until she was satisfied.

He gulped, suddenly overwhelmingly terrified.

She came at him again, a frenzy of teeth, claws, and hate. He backed away, shielding his face with a paw, trying to dodge but finding that she was everywhere. A claw caught him in his shield of a paw, and blood spurted. He cried out and jumped to the side, but in a flash, she had followed him, bringing the whirlwind back. He got clawed in the ear, shoulder, and the same paw once more, and then she was clamping her jaws onto his tail. He jerked it free with a spray of red and took the opportunity to dash off to the opposite corner of the training grounds.

"You'd better get used to that name, Hareheart, because it fits you perfectly," she hissed, spitting blood,_ his_ blood, and started charging after him. When he attempted to dodge by leaping to the side, she turned in mid-air and crashed on top of him. He cried out again from the pain of it.

Pantherclaw stood over him now, pressing him firmly into the dirt and pricking his skin with her claws. His back was to the ground; he couldn't move. She held the position of power. As always.

Even though she had him now, even though she had already tortured him enough, she didn't stop there. As Hareheart attempted a cough, but screamed from the pain of it, for he was bleeding from numerous cuts and under a great amount of pressure, his master looked down at him with flaming red eyes. Hareheart moaned and focused his gaze on a tree in the distance, for he felt that if he looked directly at her he would get burned.

Pantherclaw raised a paw in the air, red blood dripping from her dangerous, dangerous claws, and slowly, gradually, a grin spread on her face. It was a savage, terrifying grin that promised horrible things. Hareheart whimpered in utter fear, helpless. The sun gleamed behind her as brought down her claws to tear at his exposed flesh.

An electrifying, lightning sensation seared through him as a deep gash was cut into his side. He felt a white flash of pain, which was followed by more pain. All he knew was pain. He heard laughter somewhere far away as he shivered and gasped and jerked about and breathed heavily, painfully.

But as Pantherclaw was preparing for another strike to finish him off, she was suddenly knocked aside.

Hareheart was dimly aware of this as he writhed on the ground. He heard sounds of fighting and angry yowling, and saw flashes silver fur dancing before his vision. He thought he was hallucinating.

Eventually he became aware that the commotion had died down. He opened his eyes, raking in breaths of air and struggling to overcome the pain. He lay still, unable to move, and was horrified when he smelled the heavy scent of his own blood hovering in the air. He looked up, finding that he could titled his head up slightly. What he saw surprised him.

A lithe silver tabby was approaching him, her sleek pelt giving off a luster in the sunlight. She looked to be older than him, but not by much. Several clumps of fur were hanging off her pelt, and she possessed many scars, some old and others very recent, proving that she had indeed been fighting off his master, who was nowhere to be seen. She must have run off.

He felt a sudden lightheadedness come over him, and he remembered his situation. He was still bleeding out onto the dirt; by then, he had lost a serious amount of blood. He felt his eyelids drooping. However, right before he blacked out, he noticed her radiant blue eyes. They were strangely full of kindness, and yet, from her appearance, Hareheart would have expected her to be a master.

_Who is she?_ He wondered faintly as he felt himself slip out of consciousness.


	5. A New Life

When Hareheart at last regained consciousness, he was still in the dusty clearing. The silver tabby lay nearby, as if waiting for him to wake. He tried to stand up, but was caught by an overwhelming pain and had to lie back down. He examined the wound dealt by Pantherclaw on his side and was surprised to see cobwebs roughly stretched across it.

"I'm not a medicine cat, but I tried," the silver tabby explained rather cheerfully. She was watching him.

"W-who are you?" Hareheart asked, unsure of whether he could trust her or not.

"I'm Petalbreeze," she responded. "What about you?"

Despite her cheerfulness, Hareheart was suddenly gripped by fear. "Your, your name…" he stammered, pushing himself to back away even though he felt unbearable pain course through him. Only masters had those kinds of names. A course of fear rain itself through his veins as he continued to jerk away.

"Stop!" Petalbreeze cried, holding him down. Hareheart immediately subdued, shutting his eyes and preparing himself for her to strike.

"You'll hurt yourself." She let him go. Hareheart opened one eye and stared at her, astonished. "What's the matter with you?" He was bewildered. He needed to know more.

"What are you?" he inquired, finally becoming still. Petalbreeze shook her head and then murmured to herself, "My leader was right, we do need to help this Clan."

Hareheart blinked. Petalbreeze, seeing his confusion, replied, "I'm a warrior of MeadowClan. Our camp is about a day's journey from here. You see, Violetstar, my leader, heard about what's been going on in your Clan. The violence, unfair treatments, even murder."

He shivered internally. It was true; there had been a time when he had witnessed as a kit an apprentice being flogged to death for directly disobeying orders. The blood got everywhere; it was just awful, just _awful. _

"So she sent me to investigate," Petalbreeze continued. "And I came across you and your sisters in that log. I decided to follow you around to get a feel of life in your Clan."

The mysterious events that had happened in the past few days began to click into place. The mysterious rustling. The prey he stumbled upon. "So you're the one who…"

Petalbreeze seemed to read his mind. "Yes, I caught those mice and the snake. I listened as that warrior described what she wanted from you. And I figured you might not be able to do it, so I couldn't help but interfere. I've always been a great hunter."

Hareheart nodded, still digesting the information given to him.

"I guess you could say I got a little sloppy on your second task," Petalbreeze remarked, seeming slightly embarrassed. "I was too busy watching you that I wasn't taking care in my surroundings. When you made it clear that you knew something was up, I didn't want to interfere anymore, so I slipped away, hoping you would forget what happened."

"Did you see what happened when…?" Hareheart waited for her to spring into an explanation of how she felt when she saw him punished over a mere beetle, but she instead simply sat there, waiting for him to continue. "I guess you weren't there."

Petalbreeze shrugged and said, "I decided to take a break after you nearly discovered me. I found a tentative den nearby and stayed the night there. The next morning I figured I had enough information, so I started to head back when I heard the sound of fighting, and I decided to have a look. When I saw you and that warrior brawling, I figured you were alright since you were dodging most of her moves." Petalbreeze paused and smiled, adding, "Nice moves, by the way."

Hareheart managed a weak smile in return. "But then she started hurting you...I considered interrupting again but my leader had warned me to only do so if I deemed it absolutely necessary." She ducked her head and sighed deeply.

"But I was horrified when I saw her pin you to the ground, though I figured she would let you go," Petalbreeze continued. Hareheart hung on every word. "So when she prepared to strike, I wasn't ready. My blood turned cold as she dealt that blow, and it was in that moment I knew I would have to interfere once more. I leaped out from my hiding spot and threw her aside. And well, you know what happened after that."

Hareheart met her kind blue eyes once more. Aside from his sisters, he had never known such kindness. "Thank you," he said. He really meant it.

Petalbreeze smiled again, a warm, reassuring smile. "Well, since I'm worried about what might happen to you if you returned to camp…how about I take you back to my Clan?"

Caught off guard, Hareheart found himself unable to answer this question. Although his Clan was indeed cruel, it was all he had ever known. And what about his sisters? He couldn't just leave them.

When Petalbreeze saw the uncertainty in his eyes, she shook her head and meowed, "I'm sorry if I spoke too soon. I mean, I probably shouldn't be offering this..." She started to look as if she was about to turn away and leave him there.

"Wait!" Hareheart cried. He was certain Pantherclaw would have her revenge if he dared to return to camp. And the thought of what his mother would do was even more frightening. "I'll come if my sisters can too."

Petalbreeze looked back at him and seemed to consider it. "She might not be happy, but...I suppose now that leaf bare's ending, we'll have three seasons of good eating ahead of us. So feeding you all shouldn't be a problem." She made her decision.

"I'll take you, yeah!"

Hareheart was relieved. He wondered what her Clan was like, and what life was like outside of his Clan. He had never left the territory before.

"Wait here. I'll see if I can find your sisters." He nodded. Right before she disappeared, Petalbreeze stopped again and asked, "What's your name again?"

"Hareheart," he responded, wondering if she knew why he had such a humiliating name.

"I see," she murmured. Then she was gone. Hareheart sighed and moved himself into a more comfortable position, thinking over the information given to him. He never really considered leaving CreviceClan before. He had always been too afraid to do so. Few apprentices had managed to escape in the past, and never had one escaped in his lifetime. He had heard that death was the punishment for attempting escape. A terrible, bloody, drawn-out death.

If he followed Petalbreeze, he would be a fugitive of his Clan. Would they hunt him down on the way to this new Clan, MeadowClan, and deliver the punishment? Or would they drag him back so they could kill him as an example to the other apprentices?

But if he didn't leave...

He remembered the anger in her eyes as she stood over him. It was a roaring, consuming fire, merciless and unforgiving. He multiplied that hate several times over and then imagined what she would do to him if she saw him again after all this.

Either way, he felt doomed now. Then he thought of Thornhide and Fishreek, and how they would take this talk of a new Clan. Maybe he should go alone; then they wouldn't be in the same situation as him. He couldn't condemn then to this fate too.

Then a fresh breeze drifted from the trees in the opposite direction of the camp. He turned and stared, as if trying to catch a glimpse of MeadowClan in the cracks between the trees where light filtered through. Light in the darkness. His thoughts shifted. What if Petalbreeze brought them safely to this new world, where they would never have to worry about CreviceClan again? What if MeadowClan was the paradise he had never dared to dream of?

"Brother!" Hareheart started, whipping his head around to see Fishreek dashing towards him, worry plastered on her face. "Thornhide's in trouble!"

_Oh no,_ he thought. "Where's Petalbreeze?"

"She stayed behind to help Thornhide. Apparently she knows a thing or two about herbs." Fishreek skidded to a halt. "Oh, brother, it was that thorn. She couldn't get it out, and now it's infected. Because of it she didn't do too well on her assignments."

"Was she punished?" Hareheart dreaded the answer.

Fishreek gazed down at her paws. "Yes. She said her master shoved the thorn in even farther into her pad and then kicked her aside. She's in a lot of pain." She looked back up. "Now come on, let's go."

Although he cared more for his sister than himself at the moment, Hareheart still cried out in a sudden burst of pain as he struggled to stand up.

Fishreek suddenly noticed his condition for the first time with wide eyes. "Oh, now what happened to you? You look terrible!" Before he could reply, she added sharply, "Lean on my shoulder."

Hareheart did as he was told, somehow managing to keep up with his sister's speedy pace as they headed towards the hollow log.

When at last they arrived, Thornhide was sprawled across the ground outside the log, her face reflecting the agony she was going through. Petalbreeze had her teeth on the very tip of the thorn, which was poking through Thornhide's pad, as she attempted to pull it out. A pile of yellow flowers and cobwebs lay nearby.

Hareheart nearly lost his balance as Fishreek slipped out from under him and rushed to embrace her sister. He stumbled after her, his face also a mask of agony. But he felt better when he saw Thornhide's features relax slightly when she noticed them approaching. He lay down next to her.

But time seemed to crawl as he watched her face tighten even more. He kept one eye and both ears turned towards the direction of the camp. It was a long while ago that Pantherclaw had been fought off. She could be telling the whole Clan about where and how she was beaten. And she could be sending them out to find him. To hunt him down. He was waiting for a sign, a rustling of bushes or a snap of a twig. His blood was cold. His hopeful thoughts from earlier had been won over again.

Suddenly Thornhide began to shriek in agony. Blood spilled out of her pad as Petalbreeze gently lifted the red-stained thorn out. She cast it aside, causing everyone to breathe a sigh of relief. Petalbreeze then began to mash the yellow flowers into a pulp.

"What is that?" Fishreek inquired curiously.

"Marigold. It treats infection," she explained as she began to lick the blood off of Thornhide's injured pad. She then applied the yellow pulp while Fishreek watched in fascination.

When at last Thornhide's paw was all patched up with cobwebs as well, Petalbreeze turned her attention on him. "Let's get you fixed up too." She brought her supplies over to him and began applying her cobwebs and other herbs to his wound. It hurt terribly, but he did his best to remain still and quiet.

At long last she finally stood up and mewed, "All right. Shall we get going?"

Hareheart and Thornhide nodded, while Fishreek leaped to her paws and cried, "Of course! I can't wait to see what MeadowClan is like."

Petalbreeze smiled. "I'm glad to hear you're excited." She observed everyone around her, then added, "Hareheart, you can lean against me, and Thornhide, you can lean against Fishreek."

As they padded away, Hareheart glanced back at the camp again. They were leaving. Leaving the home he had lived in for all his life. And yet the farther away they got, the more relaxed he became. They headed towards the light, and he welcomed it with open paws.


	6. Assualt

A gust of wind blew through a green meadow dotted with bright flowers. It rustled the fresh grass and the new leaves on the trees and then flew upward towards the mountains towering above the meadow which were sprinkled with snow at the top. A fluffy gray kit pounced on a fallen leaf, joy dancing in her dazzling yellow eyes. She was soon knocked aside by a brown and white tom kit, who then took after the leaf, which was being pushed away by the wind.

"Hey! That was my leaf, Hawk-kit," the gray kit protested. She in turn tackled her brother, pawing playfully at his ears when he was down. A tan she-cat with a white muzzle and paws observed the scene with amusement showing in her blue eyes.

A monarch butterfly floated by, attracting the attention of the two young kits. The leaf was forgotten.

"It's mine!" Hawk-kit cried as the butterfly landed on a daisy. He made a wild pounce towards it, landing a few tail-lengths away. Startled, the monarch took to the sky.

"Nice going," the gray kit teased.

"Oh, be quiet, Mistkit," Hawk-kit retorted. "You know you couldn't have done better." He felt something cold hit him and looked up to see a cluster of gray clouds in the sky. Another rain drop fell, landing squarely on his nose.

"Mama…" he moaned.

The tan and white she-cat stood up. "All right, let's head back," she announced, rounding her kits up. She then headed back to camp, a mewling kit on either side of her. By the time she and her kits reached the camp, they were thoroughly soaked. The she-cat hustled her kits inside the nursery and began to groom her sodden fur, while her kits complained about the loss of a great day.

"I could've caught ten butterflies by now!" Hawk-kit remarked, pawing anxiously at the ground.

"Yeah right," Mistkit muttered, huddling against her mother.

"How about a dozen?" Hawk-kit asked.

"I doubt it."

"Maybe fifteen."

"Hardly likely."

"Twenty?"

"You wish."

"Twenty-five?"

Their mother sighed impatiently, nuzzling her daughter before she could reply. "Can't you two be quiet?" she inquired. "I don't want to hear the sound of you two quarreling all day, just the rhythmic pattern of the rain splattering outside, okay?"

The two kits were silent for a moment, but then Hawk-kit muttered under his breath, "I don't want to hear the rain. I want it to stop."

"I do too, Hawk-kit," she replied calmly. "But I'd rather listen to the rain than you two arguing."

They all sat in silence for another few moments, listening to the rain as the she-cat had wished, but she soon began to hear a different noise. It was the sound of paws sliding on the sodden grass just outside the camp. A cat, most likely.

_But what would a cat be doing out there in the rain? _She wondered as she strained her ears to get a better idea of the cat. No, it wasn't just one cat, she realized suddenly. There were many. Barely audible whispers and paw steps carried to her pricked ears. She began to feel worried. The cats were closer now, as were their voices. She heard a name; Snowstar. This new information sent a chill running up her spine.

_Snowstar…that's…that's the leader of CreviceClan! _Just then a shrill caterwaul pierced the air, cutting off abruptly. The sounds of more screams and mauling soon followed. The she-cat leaped to her feet, her two kits now shivering beneath her.

"Stay here," she ordered. They nodded obediently. She then dashed outside and gasped at the scene before her. Ragged, vicious-looking cats were brawling with her Clanmates, showing no remorse. She caught a glimpse of her mate, Brambletalon, losing a battle against a lithe black she-cat who fought furiously, her dark brown eyes burning with anger. She just managed to stop herself from rushing to her mate's aid when his opponent dealt a vicious blow to his face, remembering her helpless kits she left in the nursery. She turned around and saw a small, scrawny black tom entering the nursery. A shrill shriek then followed.

"No!" she cried, rushing inside the nursery. She arrived to see the black tom standing over her son, who was covered in blood.

"How dare you!" she hissed, seething with rage. She tackled him viciously, clawing and wrestling with him until she was standing on top of him. He looked up at her, his face emotionless. She struggled with the urge to slay him, even though she knew killing wasn't permitted. With a sigh, she let go, watching as the tom slipped out from beneath her and ran away.

She then crouched next to Hawk-kit, and gently laid her head on his torn belly. He wasn't breathing.

"Mama." Mistkit's voice was barely audible.

Struggling with strong emotions, the she-cat looked up. "Yes, dear?"

"Hawk-kit could've caught twenty-five butterflies by now," Mistkit whispered. She settled down next to her mother, shaking as she put her paws over her head.

The she-cat silently mourned for her son, wishing that his spirit would make it to StarClan safely. She began to lick the blood off his corpse, but stopped when she noticed a shadow looming over her. Fear in her eyes, she gazed up to see a graceful, snowy white she-cat in the entrance of the nursery.

"S-Snowstar," she breathed as the CreviceClan leader padded silently towards her.

"I've spoken with your leader," Snowstar informed her, her voice coated with cruelty. "This battle is over. MeadowClan has lost."

...

Hareheart, Thornhide, Fishreek, and Petalbreeze padded through the dark forest. The moon hung high in the night sky, lighting their path. They were about halfway to MeadowClan now, as Petalbreeze had explained a few moments earlier. They were to travel at night until they found a good rest spot and then they would sleep the rest of the night there. Then at noon the next day they would arrive. This was the plan that Petalbreeze had created, and it seemed reasonable to Hareheart.

As he considered this, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his side from the wound his maser had dealt, but he kept up his pace. This had been happening fairly often; he was beginning to get used to it. Petalbreeze had insisted upon taking many rest breaks, as she had explained to him how he shouldn't be walking with the wound he had, but they really had no choice. Hareheart had found this unusual, as resting was an unknown luxury for the apprentices in his Clan. He had also noticed that Thornhide seemed to be having some troubles as well. She was heavily relying on Fishreek to keep her going. She never put any pressure on her injured paw.

So far Hareheart had managed to entertain himself by musing over the joys of the new life that lay ahead of him. Petalbreeze would often begin describing events that had happened in her Clan after long moments of silence. It was clear that she was excited about returning to MeadowClan with them. He too felt eager, though he had never been eager about something before in his life, so it was rather strange. In fact, he could still hardly believe that his wretched time in CreviceClan was over.

Suddenly Petalbreeze halted. Hareheart blinked, taking in their surroundings. They were in a small clearing and he could hear a river rushing nearby. The trees along the edge of the clearing were dark, but welcoming enough.

"Let's rest here, shall we?" Petalbreeze suggested. Hareheart, Fishreek, and Thornhide nodded in turn. "Great. I'll go get us some moss." She disappeared into the forest. Hareheart lie down, tucking his paws under him.

"So, brother, are you excited about living in MeadowClan?" Fishreek inquired, settling next to him. Thornhide lay nearby.

Of course," he replied.

"I really enjoyed the stories Petalbreeze told us," she informed him. "I mean, her Clan sounds so friendly. I can't wait until we get there."

Hareheart simply nodded in agreement, once again becoming engrossed in his own thoughts.

Fishreek soon became bored of him, so she announced, "I'm going to catch us a nice meal for the night." She too disappeared. .

Hareheart sat inactively for a moment, then glanced at Thornhide and met her gaze. She held it for a moment, and then turned away. He was about to comfort her, as her gaze had looked rather pained, but was interrupted when Petalbreeze came padding into the clearing carrying a huge clump of dry moss in her teeth.

"I got the moss," she declared, setting it down at her paws. She scanned the clearing. "Hey, where's Fishreek?"

"She went out to hunt," Hareheart explained quickly, knowing Thornhide wouldn't answer.

"Ah, I see." Petalbreeze began to sort the moss into piles. "Hareheart," she said suddenly, looking up from her work. She appeared to have been planning this moment for some time now. "Do you know why your Clan is so cruel?"

Hareheart was once again caught off guard by her question. He quickly tried to recall the few moments when his mother had mentioned why and piece them together. He glanced over his shoulder again at Thornhide, but she didn't seem to be paying any attention to them. "Why yes, I do partially know why. You see, the cruelty, the violence, the murder, it's all based on an old legend. This legend is about a young cat who was often mistreated by his Clanmates. He secretly murdered himself into the leadership position, apparently receiving help from the wicked spirits of the Dark Forest. As a leader, he wanted his Clan to share the pain he went through, so he designed the system we have today. Therefore each cat is born a humiliation, a disgrace, and then is given the chance to prove himself or herself to his or her Clanmates. If he or she succeeds, then he or she will become a master and inflict the pain he or she felt upon others." Hareheart gazed up at Petalbreeze, who appeared to be expecting more. "That's all I really know," he concluded.

Petalbreeze nodded slowly, seeming deep in thought. "So is that why you and your sisters have such awful names?" she inquired

"Yes," Hareheart replied simply. He watched curiously as Petalbreeze's gaze drifted upwards towards the night sky, an intense thoughtfulness featured on her faze.

Just then Fishreek entered the clearing, disrupting the moment. "I couldn't find much," she announced, dropping two mice next to them. Petalbreeze had returned to sorting the moss.

"It'll do," Hareheart said, snatching a mouse. He padded towards Thornhide and offered to share it with her, feeling bad for having ignored her recently.

"Okay," Thornhide whispered, her voice barely audible. They began to eat. Fishreek, watching them, grabbed the other mouse and shared it with Petalbreeze. When they finished, Petalbreeze shaped the moss piles into moss beds.

Without another word, the four settled into the beds and gradually drifted off to sleep.

**Long chapter, I know. ^^ I just couldn't find a way to end it until then. So yeah. Feel free to click the review button below. You know you want to. **


	7. Shock

Hareheart awoke at dawn, blinking away the drowsiness. He stretched and fixed his gaze upon the sleeping forms of Fishreek and Thornhide, watching as their flanks slowly rose and fell. He turned towards Petalbreeze's nest where the silver tabby was lying down, grooming her silky fur. She stopped and met his gaze for a moment, and then began to approach him.

"Hey Hareheart," she greeted him, brushing his side. "Let's go hunting, shall we? I'm afraid your sister's catch didn't quite fill me up." A light humor sparkled in her bright blue eyes.

Hareheart nodded and followed her as she bounded out of the clearing. He enjoyed the feeling of the soft grass beneath his paws and the birdsong in his ears. The pain in his side has lessened.

"So, you can hunt, can't you?" Petalbreeze inquired curiously as she padded beside him.

Hareheart sighed, slightly embarrassed. "Not really," he admitted, looking down at his paws. "You see, skills such as hunting and fighting aren't taught in my Clan. We have to learn on our own."

"I'll teach you a few tricks then." Hareheart looked up at Petalbreeze, almost expecting a hint of a sneer or disgust at his lack of hunting skills, but he was instead comforted by her warm, sympathetic gaze.

"All right," Hareheart agreed. He watched as Petalbreeze lifted her nose to the air, breathing deeply for the scent of prey. Her eyes opened wide in a flash.

"Mouse!" she whispered, dropping to the forest floor in a crouch. Her ears flat on her head and her tail soundlessly sweeping the forest floor, she crept towards her target, making sure to stay down wind so the mouse wouldn't catch her scent. Hareheart watched with increased fascination as she neared her prey. When she was within distance, Petalbreeze began to sway her haunches back and forth, her tail lashing, still without a sound. The mouse scampered nearby, unaware of the danger lurking so close. Remembering how she had mentioned being a great hunter before, Hareheart would've now been surprised to hear otherwise.

In a sudden flurry of movement, Petalbreeze pounced and landed squarely on her target. She gave it a swift, killing bite to the neck before it could realize what had happened. Grasping the mouse firmly in her jaws, Petalbreeze padded back to Hareheart, dropping her catch at his paws.

"Not bad, huh?" She smiled at him. "Now let's see you try." Hareheart nodded, determined to do well after seeing her performing the skill so easily. He padded onward, alert for any signs of prey.

He soon noticed a thrush pecking at the grass for earthworms. Concentrating hard, he flattened himself into a clumsy crouch despite his best efforts. Embarrassed with the knowledge that Petalbreeze was watching, he crept onward anyway. But as he came to a relatively close distance, the thrush paused, its eyes searching suspiciously. Worried that it would fly off, Hareheart prepared to leap, rocking his haunches swiftly. He lunged, just managing to snag a wing before the thrush took off. It squawked in alarm as he brought it to the earth. Finishing it off quickly, Hareheart turned to face Petalbreeze.

"That was a great catch!" Petalbreeze meowed, heading towards him. "However, you gave it a chance to sound a cry of distress. Now we'll have to wait a bit before we can hunt again."

Seeing the disappointment in Hareheart's eyes, she added, "Don't worry, the forest will be back to normal soon. While we wait, I'll show you some tips, okay?"

"Sure." Hareheart would need to know how to hunt properly for when he joined MeadowClan. He wouldn't want to let them down.

"All right, well first of all, mice will hear the sound of your paw steps before they will scent you, so when you are stalking a mouse, you've got to try to keep as much weight as possible off of your paws. Don't forget to keep down wind though, this is essential to remember when hunting all prey," Petalbreeze informed him. She crouched low, imitating the position she had used earlier when catching a mouse. Hareheart listened intently. "How about you try?"

Hareheart frowned, studying her pose. Then he mimicked it as well as he could, although he couldn't help but put a little extra weight on the flank opposite of his wound.

Petalbreeze seemed to have noticed this. "Good, but just try to balance your weight a little more. Every little detail can make a huge difference."

When Hareheart corrected himself, paying no indifference to a slight spark of pain, Petalbreeze suggested, "Much better! Now let's see if we can find a mouse by now to test that out on." She led the way further into the forest.

Hareheart nodded and sprang to his paws, bounding after her. By sunhigh, the two of them had their mouths crammed with fresh-kill, and Hareheart felt new knowledge settling in his mind. He had enjoyed the training session, and the abundance of warm smiles Petalbreeze gaze him had soothed him. It was so strange to feel the unfamiliar emotions of excitement, pride, and happiness surging through him. His head and tail were held high at what he had accomplished that morning as he and Petalbreeze padded back to the clearing.

When they arrived, Fishreek immediately sprang from her nest. "Oh, there you are!" she cried impatiently, rushing towards them. Her gaze rested on the prey in their jaws. "Couldn't you have mentioned you were going hunting before you left?"

"Sorry about that, sister," Hareheart replied, setting down prey. He was slightly astonished at how worried Fishreek had been. He looked past her where Thornhide was resting, one eye open and an ear turned towards them.

"No worries," Fishreek mewed, calming down. She snatched a mouse from the pile and padded off to eat. Shaking his head at her sudden change of mood, Hareheart settled down to eat his thrush. As he began to tear into the feathers, he noticed Thornhide limping towards the fresh-kill. She grabbed a vole and sat down beside him.

"Hello," she greeted softly. Hareheart blinked. She rarely showed this kind of boldness. Perhaps Thornhide was beginning to loosen up as well.

"Is your paw feeling any better?" he inquired innocently between mouthfuls.

"A bit," Thornhide answered simply. She finished her vole and then began to groom herself. Hareheart, left with nothing else to say, turned back to his thrush.

"Shall we continue moving?" Petalbreeze suggested from the other side of the clearing. She had just striped the meat off of a mouse. Hareheart stood up, feeling energy course through him at the thought of reaching MeadowClan. In moments they had left the clearing, padding at a brisk pace. While Hareheart no longer felt the need to lean against Petalbreeze, he couldn't help but notice that Thornhide was still requiring support from Fishreek, though not nearly as heavily as the night before.

After a long while the trees began to part, revealing a huge stretch of flat green land before them. A river gushed off to the side, its clear water shimmering in the bright light, while the sky above was a lovely light blue without a single cloud. Hareheart's fur was rustled playfully by a gust of wind as he descended into the welcoming land. Glancing at Petalbreeze, he caught a joyous expression shining in her eyes as she padded beside him.

"Is this your Clan's territory?" he asked, still in awe.

"Yes," she breathed, taking in the scents of her home. Hareheart noticed that Fishreek and Thornhide were also admiring the area. He felt thrilled at the thought of living there. As they headed further into the territory, however, he caught a whiff of a disturbing, yet familiar scent. He tried to push it aside, but it only grew stronger. When at last he recognized it, he stopped in his tracks, his paws rooted in terror.

_Blood. _The others seemed to have noticed it too; their fur was bristling with fear.

"Oh no," Petalbreeze whispered. "We're near the camp. Something has gone terribly wrong." She suddenly shot forward, her fear propelling her forward. Hareheart followed her as fast as his paws could carry him, Petalbreeze's desperation releasing the icy grip on his paws. Fishreek darted ahead of Hareheart, while Thornhide fell behind, her face a mask of pain as she struggled to keep up without Fishreek's support.

Feeling sympathy for his injured sister, Hareheart slowed his pace until he was running beside her. When he offered his shoulder for her to lean on, she flashed him a grateful look and accepted. Tearing up grass under their paws, the two cats darted on. Hareheart soon noticed an area not far ahead where the land stretched downwards into a small valley. A large tree was in the center of the valley, towering above.

_That must be the camp,_ Hareheart realized. He quickened his pace as he sped into the valley, his sister still at his side. Afraid of what he would find inside, Hareheart still managed to enter the camp. He let out a gasp of sheer horror at what he saw. Snowstar was sitting in the entrance, as if waiting for him. A cruel sneer was plastered on her muzzle. Behind her, backed against the great tree were bloody cats, their fur ragged and torn. Their eyes were alight with fear and despair. Surrounding these defeated cats were five masters of CreviceClan, each ones' expression mimicking Snowstar's. Petalbreeze and Fishreek were standing beside him now.

Hareheart's pupils grew wide with fear at the scene before him. He took a single step backwards, hoping he could run while he still had the chance, but he instead bumped against Serpentfang. The CreviceClan master leered at him, roughly pushing him forward.

"H-how…?" Hareheart stammered, feeling like a helpless mouse that had been pounced upon.

"Greetings, Hareheart." Snowstar's cool tone held a hint of malice underneath. "We have been expecting you."


	8. Potential Return

Hareheart gulped, still unable to get over the scene that lay before him. All his hopes of a new life had been crushed. Sensing his fear, Snowstar's cruel smile only grew wider.

"You didn't think it would be that easier, did you?" she questioned coolly, her gaze sweeping over Hareheart, Petalbreeze, Fishreek, and Thornhide. She finally locked her gaze on Petalbreeze, her distaste showing clearly.

"Pantherclaw didn't appreciate being won over by you, dear," she breathed, stepping closer towards the sleek silver tabby. "When she told me about this, I knew you would lead these three heaps of fur here. What a shame I had to come and conquer MeadowClan just in time." Snowstar paused a moment, letting her words sink in. She then leaned forward towards Hareheart, her intense blue eye searing any dignity he had left.

"And _you_," she hissed softly. "My very son, trying to escape from me!" She purred spitefully. Soon she overcame her cruel humor and regained her icy tone. "I believe Pantherclaw wishes to have a word with you back at camp about your little scheme."

A sense of dread overcame Hareheart. His master most certainly wished for more than a word with him. He knew it wouldn't end well. Then he recalled that she had mentioned that the meeting would take place _back at camp. _He couldn't go back! Not now!

"That's right, we are going back to camp at once," Snowstar continued, voicing his fears. She cast a glance behind her at the MeadowClan cats trembling in fear, and added, "Now that I'm finished here, I'll leave these pansy-loving rats to themselves." Snowstar rose to her paws and started to leave, but she paused in front of Petalbreeze. Suddenly, in a flash, Hareheart could only watch in horror as she launched a powerful blow aimed directly at her face. Caught by surprise, Petalbreeze was knocked off her paws.

"And that applies to you as well," Snowstar spat coldly as Petalbreeze struggled to stand back up. "But I don't ever want to see you sneaking through my territory again." Hareheart looked into Petalbreeze's blue eyes that had once shone with kindness and happiness, now clouded over with fear and pain. He longed to cry out, to show her that he still cared, but he couldn't find the courage to do so. When those defeated eyes met his, a wave of guilt washed over him, causing him to turn away.

"You heard your leader!" a voice hissed from behind. A sudden bolt of agony coursed through Hareheart as he felt teeth sink into his tail. He flinched and stood still with his head hung low until he felt the grip loosen. He then pulled his tail free and followed Snowstar, who was already heading towards the camp entrance. Right before he left, Hareheart managed to throw a glance back at the MeadowClan camp over his shoulder. He felt a lump sprout in his throat when he saw Petalbreeze looking right at him. Swallowing overwhelming emotions surging through him, Hareheart lowered his head submissively and exited the camp.

"Serpentfang, Hollyheart, go flank these siblings," Snowstar ordered as soon as they had left. With a thin curve of a smile, she added, "Just in case they decide to try anything."

Hareheart stiffened as he saw a smoky black she-cat take her place beside him. Serpentfang positioned himself adjacent to Thornhide, with Fishreek in the middle. Thornhide immediately lowered her gaze to the ground, her fur bristling in fear. Fishreek was staring defiantly at Hollyheart, who returned her gaze with such a menacing glare that Fishreek ended up dropping her gaze as well. Suddenly Hollyheart turned her attention to Hareheart, roughly bumping against him.

"Yeah, don't get any ideas in that mouse-brain of yours," she spat his ear. Hareheart raised his head to see the vile she-cat towering over him, her lip curled into a menacing snarl. Not wanting to lock gazes with her burning amber eyes, he concentrated instead on a tiny pebble next to his paw.

Snowstar soon gave the signal to start moving, so Hareheart was forced to tear his gaze upwards. He felt awfully uncomfortable walking with the black, malicious master at his side. They had not gone far before Hareheart felt her paw make contact with one of his, and, unbalanced, he stumbled and fell into the dirt. Snickering quickly met his ears, and at that moment Hareheart wanted nothing more than to be able to slip away and forget about his tormentors, but since he had no way of achieving this, he simply lay there and endured it all. A swift kick was dealt to his side, only increasing the amount of snickering and snorting. It would be difficult for most to endure such torment, but as Hareheart had been enduring it for all his life, he had gradually grown more humble and lost much of his self pride, rarely experiencing pleasant emotions.

The commotion gradually died down and soon Hareheart managed to scramble back to his paws. Fishreek sent him a sympathetic look, and he accepted it with a grateful nod. As they continued onward, he recalled all the pleasant emotions he had felt during his journey to MeadowClan. Although just last dawn he had been hunting with Petalbreeze, that time now seemed to have occurred many moons ago. In a dull haze, he recalled the kind light that always shone in her blue eyes, and how radiant they became when she glimpsed her territory again. He also remembered how Fishreek had seemed at ease and carefree, and how Thornhide had begun to open the protective shell that always seemed to keep her within herself. With a deep sigh he dismissed these thoughts, highly doubting he would ever witness them again.

By the time the sun had sunk below the horizon, Hareheart had grown weary and exhausted, and had suffered through many trips and rough nudges from Hollyheart. Thornhide seemed especially pained from the long trek, limping heavily from her injured pad, while Fishreek appeared to be determined to not show any signs of weakness. She traveled with her head and tail held high, despite the number of times she had been wounded and snapped at for her proud gestures. Hareheart admired her strength, knowing he could never be so bold. He briefly wondered how Petalbreeze would react, but no sooner had the thought breached his mind than it was clouded over with the agonized expression in her eyes as she watched him go. Unable to bear the fresh surge of guilt that swept over him, Hareheart dismissed this thought as well.

He was going back. Back to CreviceClan, back to a life of torment. Just when he thought he might have a chance of escaping. He looked down at his paws and sighed, ever slightly.

At last Snowstar halted from her brisk pace. "I suppose we should stop for the night," she suggested, surveying the group with sharp eyes. She appeared regretful, as if she was considering walking on in the night. Hareheart shuddered at the thought. Slipping off to the side of the route they had been taking, she dashed between tall trees and through dense undergrowth. The other cats followed her with much difficulty, Thornhide especially. Hareheart winced when a tree branch snapped back into his face, leaving a stinging mark. He heard snickers, as expected. Eventually they came to a stop in a small clearing tightly surrounded by trees.

Immediately Hareheart, Fishreek, and Thornhide collapsed on the ground and took a moment to rest, as Snowstar began barking orders to the masters.

"Barkstripe," she began, addressing a light brown tom with white paws. "Gather bedding. In the meantime, Serpentfang, I want you to go with me to hunt. The rest of you, guard those mangy siblings." With that Snowstar turned around and headed back out of the clearing with Serpentfang at her heels. Barkstripe soon left as well, leaving an intimidating pure black tom with a cruel glint in his yellow eyes known as Blackfang, an orange tabby with green eyes and a grim scar across his cheek that gave him a savage look named Rootfur, and Hollyheart alone in the clearing with Hareheart and his sisters. Not that the situation had been any better beforehand, but Hareheart still shared a worried glance with his sisters.

Hollyheart watched the exchange between them with a wicked hunger shining in her fierce amber gaze. Seeing this, Fishreek immediately regained a more dignified position, curling her tail protectively over her haunches. However, she soon had reason to regret that impulse, as Hollyheart seemed to take this as a signal. Her expression hardened and in a split second she had leaped onto Fishreek, pinning her to the ground. Fishreek cried out, the breath knocked out of her.

"Learn some humility, or I've going to have to teach you!" Hollyleaf hissed, placing a paw on her victim's throat. Hareheart jumped to his paws, though he had no idea how he could help his sister. However, he shrank back when he saw Blackfang and Rootfur step forward towards him, grinning like maniacs. Thornhide was clearly absolutely frightened; her ears lay far back on her head and her fur was bristling. She hung low to the ground nearby, her eyes darting fearfully from Blackfang to Rootfur.

Hareheart watched helplessly as Fishreek forced a painful growl from her pressured throat and started to squirm beneath Hollyheart.

"Now, now, no need to struggle," Hollyheart breathed, her voice softer, yet still coated with malice. Fishreek paid no heed to her newest comment, continuing in her desperate attempt to break free. Hareheart shivered as he observed the grim scene, wondering what Hollyheart planned to do with his disobedient sister. He unsheathed his claws, but not his courage.

Just then, Hareheart gasped as Fishreek actually managed to slip out of Hollyheart's grasp in one swift, fluid movement. As soon as she was free, she signaled to him and Thornhide to follow her with a flick of her tail, and dashed out the entrance of the clearing. Hareheart and Thornhide quickly ran after her, but he was highly aware that the masters were pursuing them. He could hear their paws kicking through the undergrowth, branches snapping and cracking apart in their haste.

Their presence gave Hareheart's paws wings and he practically flew behind Fishreek, but he could tell Thornhide wasn't doing as well. She was growing exhausted from the wild dash and started to lag behind. Hareheart's heart leaped to his throat when he saw Hollyheart snag Thornhide's tail with her claws. The vile she-cat then yanked her tail backwards, causing Thornhide to shriek in pain and fall farther behind.

Hareheart halted in his tracks, digging his paws into the ground in a sudden flare of anger. He whipped around and confronted Hollyheart, who let go of Thornhide's tail and snorted when she saw him. Blackfang and Rootfur positioned themselves on either side of her, but the added threat failed to distinguish his anger. However, to his great relief, Fishreek took her place beside him and soon later Thornhide stepped timidly beside her brother, but she still seemed quite frightened.

In numbers, the sides were equal, but Thornhide was both injured and scared out of her fur, while the three masters were all strong, energized and eager to rip their opponents to shreds. Hareheart felt exhausted from his forced march as well and his face still stung, and Fishreek was breathing heavily next to him. He feared the outcome of the battle that lay before him, but before he could change his mind and back down, Hollyheart suddenly leaped forward straight towards him, a dangerous, wild look flashing in her amber eyes. He caught a glimpse of Rootfur tackling Thornhide and Blackfang throwing himself onto Fishreek's shoulders in the corner of his eye right before Hollyheart made contact with him.

She came at him in a whirling frenzy of sharp teeth and claws, forcing Hareheart to back away from the rest of the battle. He felt a claw graze his shoulder and cried out in shock and pain. When Hollyheart paused for a moment to take a breath, Hareheart took his chance and launched a counterattack, raking his claws above her nose, flinching away right after he did so. The successful attack only enraged Hollyheart further, and she came at him again, attempting to knock him down, but Hareheart managed to dodge just in time. Hollyheart hissed at him, her anger building.

A sudden shrill shriek sounded from behind Hareheart, and he instinctively turned to face that direction. He felt his own blood run cold when he saw Thornhide on the ground at Rootfur's paws, blood flowing freely from an open wound in her chest.

"Sister!" Hareheart cried, racing towards her. He was completely unprepared for the attack that Hollyheart launched from behind. In all his anger and fright, he had forgotten about his opponent. Now she had him in a death grip; he was pinned against the ground with her on top of him, his belly exposed. The situation grimly reminded him of his battle training with Pantherclaw, but at that time Petalbreeze had come just in time to save his life. Now she was in MeadowClan with her injured Clanmates; she couldn't possibly save him now. Hareheart shut his eyes and prepared for the end, the vivid image of his seriously wounded sister floating in his mind like a gruesome reminder. It could very well be the last thing he would ever lay his eyes upon.


	9. Moving On

Hareheart lay on the ground beneath Hollyheart, panting heavily as he prepared himself for the final blow, when the sensation came over him. It came in a sudden flare of determination that seemed to seep into his very being, an emotion more powerful than any he had ever felt before. Not even the excitement he had experienced as he entered MeadowClan territory, or the anger he had felt as Hollyheart attacked his sister just earlier could compare to this. Pure determination coursed through him, causing his eyes to open, alight with a new, burning desire. He wasn't meant to die like this, under the merciless claws of a tyrant. No, he had a much greater destiny to fulfill in MeadowClan, and it had taken him far too long to fully know where his heart belonged. Sure, beforehand he had been excited as he learned of the Clan, but a part of him still hadn't dismissed his birth Clan despite their treatment of him. Now he had no more doubt; no cat's destiny should be a life of torture and humility. He belonged in MeadowClan.

All these thoughts and feelings happened in a flash, and in that split-second Hareheart's whole attitude towards life had changed. When Hollyheart's savage teeth came down to deal a blow that would have ended him just a few moments ago, Hareheart was ready. He propelled his head towards hers, colliding painfully forehead-to-forehead. Both were dazed, but he recovered faster. Before she could retaliate, Hareheart kicked her off with a savage thrust of his back legs and scrambled to his feet, but it wasn't over just then. The image of his sister so close to death still haunted him, and he dashed up to Hollyheart and gave her a swift, yet deadly blow to her side with unsheathed claws. She glared daggers at him, but fell to the ground, beaten.

_There, that should hold her off for now._ Satisfied, Hareheart rushed back to where Thornhide and Fishreek had both been fighting earlier. He came just in time to see Fishreek darting towards Rootfur, whose paws were stained with Thornhide's blood, knocking him over. Blackfang was lying unmoving nearby, his blood flowing from him like a waterfall.

Once again, Hareheart took the time to admire his sister's courage, but he quickly dismissed those thoughts and leaped into the scene, as there was no time to waste. Fishreek's eyes were blinded by rage as she ruthlessly tore open Rootfur's belly. The helpless master was squirming desperately as his life was torn away from him. With a shudder, Hareheart realized that he could have easily shared the same fate. The pain that Rootfur had experienced right before dying must been unimaginable.

"Sister, stop," he begged, as even though Rootfur had indeed committed a possibly murderous deed, no cat deserved to die that way. Fishreek looked up, stilling her blood soaked paws. When she saw her brother, a sense of calm seemed to wash over her. With new eyes, she looked back at Rootfur's corpse and quickly leaped back, crying out in shock at what she had done. Her pupils turned to slits, and her breath came out in ragged gasps. Unable to bear the scene before her any more, Fishreek turned away and dashed towards Thornhide, who hadn't moved since Hareheart had last seen her. The grass beneath her had turned scarlet with her blood.

Hareheart took one last look at Rootfur, shook his head, and quickly raced to join his sister, placing his head against Thornhide's chest. He let out a relived sigh when he heard a slow, yet steady heartbeat.

"You're going to be okay; you're going to be all right," he repeated under his breath, though he wasn't sure if he entirely believed it himself. Thornhide had lost a lot of blood, and in the areas where her fur had been torn out from Rootfur's merciless blows, the skin was deathly pale. Fishreek lay beside her sister, her eyes full of sorrow. Hareheart looked away, unable to believe that his sister may not stay alive.

_How can I live a wondrous life in MeadowClan without Thornhide?_ He shut his eyes and rested his muzzle on Thornhide's flank. He could feel it slowly rising and falling. _Come on Thornhide, you can fight this. Live on! _He dimly remembered the injury in his sister's pad from a thorn, which seemed so trivial now, yet it had caused her much pain. Whenever he had pictured himself living a suitable life in MeadowClan, he had always imagined that Thornhide would be with him then. What would he do if she died? Just leave her behind and live the life that he had always dreamed of without her?

_She won't die,_ he tried to convince himself, but Hareheart could tell from the observation that her breaths were gradually occurring less often that this might not be true. She was fighting a raging battle between life and death, and death was winning. As the brutal realization washed over Hareheart, he glanced up at Fishreek and met eyes with her. She too seemed to have realized this, and she sent a tidal wave of her anguish into him through her sorrowful gaze, most likely only an iota of the real pain she was experiencing. Hareheart closed his eyes again and embraced her sorrow, allowing it to strengthen his own. He could not allow Thornhide to die while he was still arguing with himself over whether or not she might actually die. As the last of her blood spilled out, and a great sigh escaped her lips, Hareheart accepted this, wishing her a safe passage into the afterlife.

However, the only afterlife he had ever heard of was the Dark Forest, and he could not allow her spirit to suffer there. Suddenly, for some peculiar reason he recalled the night when he had described his Clan's history to Petalbreeze, and the intensified expression that she gained as she in turn had stared into the night sky. He remembered how the sky had been alight with twinkling stars that night, and how she seemed to look into each and every star with great respect.

Silently, as Thornhide breathed her last breath, Hareheart's gaze drifted upwards towards the night sky stretched above him. He noticed thousands of stars hanging there, and he felt a great wave of calm sweep over him. He shut his eyes and felt a cool breeze blow lightly into his face. As he accepted the wind, allowing it to ruffle his fur playfully, memories of Thornhide danced before his eyes. He saw her curled up beside Snowstar, opening her bright blue eyes for the first time, then her leaping through the forest for the first time as an apprentice. He saw her eating her first piece of fresh kill, smiling as she became endorsed in the colorful flavors. But then he saw her being scolded harshly by her master for missing one part of a hunting assignment. Next he witnessed her begging her master for forgiveness since she had fallen behind because of a thorn in her pad. Then she was whimpering in fear as her master shoved the thorn in even further and then tossed her frail body against the trunk of a tree. As the wind began to die away, so did the memories. Just before they completely diminished, Hareheart saw a final image of her beside him, staring out into MeadowClan territory, sheer awe painted across her features.

Hareheart tore open his eyes when the wind had at last moved on. The utter calmness he had felt had been replaced with anger. It wasn't fair. Thornhide had been born innocent; she didn't deserve the treatment she received from her Clanmates. When she had been viewing MeadowClan for the first time, that may have been the last joyous feeling she had ever experienced.

Hareheart looked back up at the sky and his anger instantly vanished. What had he just experienced? Many of the memories he had just seen he had never actually witnessed before. The sky stretched out endlessly before him, making him feel so small, so trivial. Somehow he got the feeling that what he was seeing was something he would never fully understand. But whatever he had just observed, he knew it had been far more than just wind. Just then he truly realized that Thornhide was no longer alive.

"No," he whispered, looking back her lifeless body with glazed eyes. Had the wind been the essence of her spirit as it made its way into the afterlife? As he felt a great sorrow seep over him over the death of his beloved, shy sister, he believed right then that it must be true. He bowed his head to the great night sky above him, paying his respects.

_I will never forget you,Thornhide. _As he thought this, he could've sworn he caught a whiff of her scent in the air. Then it was gone, leaving Hareheart to fully embrace his creeping anguish. He returned his muzzle to her fur and mourned greatly for her, reliving all the memories he had of her and the ones he had just recently received. Beside him, Fishreek had never moved, and he assumed he must be grieving as well.

Hareheart became immersed in a few moments of deep grieving that seemed to be interminable, but soon the sounds of paw steps brought him back to reality. He raised his head to see Hollyheart approaching him, limping from the wound he had dealt to her. In all his sorrow, Hareheart had completely forgotten about the vile she-cat. He cringed as she drew nearer, wondering what she planned to do with him. There was no way he would turn around and attempt to outrun her; he couldn't leave Thornhide's body before giving her a proper burial. Also, Fishreek was so deep in her grieving that she hardly noticed the CreviceClan master approach. How could he bring her back to reality, convince her to leave, and then actually begin running all in a matter of moments? Perhaps soon his spirit would soon join Thornhide's into the unknown.

As he watched, Hollyheart hesitated a few tail lengths away. An innocent curiosity was shining in her eyes as she observed the scene before her. Her eyes swept from Thornhide's lifeless corpse to Hareheart, and then to Fishreek. Suddenly her features hardened, and she came closer, blood dripping from her wound.

She stood for a moment before them, and then finally she spoke. "Don't think Snowstar won't hear about this," she threatened, although her voice shook slightly, and Hareheart could've sworn he saw fear displayed in her amber eyes as her gaze rested on Thornhide's body once more. "She'll find you, and then you'll regret this battle." Hollyheart started to turn away, her fur twitching slightly as she struggled to remove her gaze from Hareheart's lifeless sister. But as she at last began to walk away, Hareheart guessed that she had simply never seen death before, and was unsure how to react. Her words were empty and uncertain, and Hareheart found her last sentence rather amusing in a cold, grim manner, for he had already regretted the battle when he saw Thornhide lying beneath Rootfur's paws, her fur stained with blood.

Hareheart sighed heavily, pushing himself to his paws. He felt stiff and uncomfortable after having crouched next to Thornhide for so long. He nudged Fishreek, as he had realized that although Hollyheart was momentarily dazed, she would soon recover and indeed carry out her promise. Fishreek looked up at him, although her eyes seemed to look beyond him into a world known only to her.

"We should bury her," he suggested, though his voice felt rather hoarse. Fishreek nodded in silent agreement and rose to her paws. Together they carefully dragged Thornhide's body away from the area where the battle had taken place. They then dropped her gently and began to gouge the hole that would contain her body for who knew how long. Hareheart's claws began to ache from the digging, and one was even torn, but he hardly cared at the moment. At last the hole was dug, and brother and sister buried their sibling beneath them, still mourning her death.

As Hareheart kicked the last few specks of dirt over Thornhide's grave, his gaze fell to the horizon, where he could see the first few tendrils of dawn creeping through the darkness.

"Goodbye, my beloved sister," Hareheart whispered, and then he and Fishreek began to pad away. As the sun climbed higher and higher in the sky, the two heartbroken siblings made good distance. They never spoke a word, both still immersed within their own thoughts of their dead sister.

Hareheart began to wish that Thornhide could have had a better life. Her life was filled with unfairness and cruelty; pleasant moments were rare. He couldn't help but blame himself for her misery. He wished he could have paid more attention to her as they traveled to MeadowClan. That experience had been a nice one for her; she had freedom, food, and friendly company, and yet Hareheart had been so busy with his thoughts of a new life that he hadn't thought much of the pain she had been going through because of that thorn, and her tortured past. Sure, he and Fishreek didn't have pasts that were any better, but Hareheart still felt guilty that he should have been closer to her on that journey.

Suddenly his thoughts turned to her name. All her life, Thornhide have lived with an awful name, as had Hareheart and Fishreek. What kind of names were those? A name was meant to define who the owner was; to describe a physical trait, a skill, or a passion that one had. Yet CreviceClan was ignorant to this, and gave out humiliating names just to add to the shame that was a part of the life style of all those who were never respected. Hareheart, Thornhide, and Fishreek were never accepted as masters, though Hareheart knew he would never desire that role anyway. He would rather endure the pain and humiliation than inflict it upon others.

He sighed and gazed upwards into the sky, remembering the beauty and mystery it had held during the night. He recalled the twinkling stars as they shone against the black of the night. As he traveled beside Fishreek, his paws brushing through the dense undergrowth, he recognized that there was something he hadn't seen then, an air of mystery that he couldn't solve, and he still had no idea what that might be. He decided that one day he would know, one day he would look at the stars glowing brightly in front of the night sky and see something he could never imagine at that moment. Something that had to do with the afterlife, the eerie calmness washing over him as he embraced Thornhide's spirit and was given the last of her memories.

Hareheart dismissed these thoughts for the moment, knowing that one day, when he was ready, he would come back to them. He instead nuzzled against Fishreek affectionately, enjoying the simplicity of the moment. Fishreek looked back at him and smiled. The two of them then continued onward, grateful that at least they had each other for company.


	10. MeadowClan

**So sorry! I know this should've been done sometime back in December. Been caught up with school and stuff. :( I've had half of this chapter sitting in my files for months and now I've finally gotten around to finishing it. Again, I apologize for the wait. Without further ado, here you are! **

At long last Hareheart and Fishreek stood before the grand territory of MeadowClan, pausing to drink in the familiar sights and scents. With a pang, Hareheart recalled that the last time he had been here, Thornhide had stood beside him, taking in the view with blue eyes full of awe. He glanced at Fishreek and saw that she too seemed to be remembering this moment. It really hadn't been that long, yet for Hareheart it felt like many seasons had passed since he last stood here. With a sigh, he ventured forwards in an attempt to forget his thoughts. Fishreek was soon padding after him.

A gentle wind ruffled his fur, bringing excitement into his veins. Since the moment Petalbreeze had mentioned MeadowClan to him, Hareheart had anticipated what was just ahead of him now. A new life, full of hope and kindness lay just beyond a few hills. No more misery and humiliation. Soon the huge tree he had seen earlier loomed nearby. The sight of it brought a rush of energy as he gradually broke into a dash. Fishreek was pelting alongside him, a light shining in her eyes once more. Hareheart sniffed the air as he ran. There was only a whiff of blood that he could smell; probably left over from when the camp had been ambushed.

_By my own Clan_. Hareheart winced at this thought, and for the first time he felt a twinge of doubt. How would MeadowClan accept him when he belonged to such a savage Clan?

By then the two siblings had reached the entrance of the camp, and Hareheart was forced to forget his doubts for the moment and simply hope for the best. He faced Fishreek and met her solemn gaze. After a moment, they both nodded in silent agreement and headed inside, ready to face the prospect of a new life.

They entered to see the reconstruction of the camp from the attack at hand. Cats were tending to the dens and the barrier of the camp, filling the numerous holes with moss and twigs. Hareheart was surprised to see the teamwork and organization that was taking place; some cats were carrying supplies to others that were stationed near damaged areas, who then applied them carefully and effectively. He noticed that most of the cats had grievous wounds displayed upon them, yet they worked with admirable determination and effort despite the pain they may be experiencing. The whole situation was so new and strange to Hareheart. He suddenly felt uncomfortable just standing there watching.

Just then a patrol of three cats approached the entrance, all bearing gashes across their pelts. As they passed by, the three cats sent them puzzled looks, but they said nothing. Hareheart was about to suggest to Fishreek that they should move, when a voice sounded from the other end of the camp.

"Hareheart, Fishreek!" Embarrassed by the use of their horrendous names with some many unfamiliar pairs of ears nearby, Hareheart turned to the face the direction of the voice. The embarrassment soon faded to relief when he saw Petalbreeze darting towards them. As she came closer, Hareheart cringed when he saw the scarlet claw marks stretched across her face. The image of Snowstar whipping around and unexpectedly raking her claws into Petalbreeze flashed before his eyes. Hareheart fought hard to keep his expression calm. Glancing to his side, he noticed Fishreek's expression harden as she too made note of the grievous injury.

"What happened; where's Thornhide?" Petalbreeze questioned as she skidded to a halt before them. Hareheart felt a stab of the sorrow he had attempted to keep at bay as he remembered that as far as she knew, Thornhide was still alive. He gazed into her familiar blue eyes full of innocent curiosity. The last thing he wanted to do was to return the feelings of anguish and hurt she had likely struggled with after Snowstar had struck her.

Hareheart and Fishreek exchanged uneasy glances, their hesitation hanging thick in the air. Petalbreeze seemed to detect this, as a flash of anguish glazed over her eyes, and she lowered her head.

"I'm sorry," she murmured. Without thinking, Hareheart pressed against her flank in an attempt to comfort her. As they quietly mourned for the loss of Thornhide, Hareheart's fur prickled as he sensed that this moment wasn't passing entirely unnoticed. He stepped back to see several MeadowClan cats staring in bewilderment. Uncomfortable, Hareheart looked down at his paws.

"I'll go speak with the Clan leader about allowing you to join, all right?" Petalbreeze offered lightly. From the corner of his eye, Hareheart watched her disappear into a gaping hole inside the tree towering over the camp.

Unsure of what to do, Hareheart lifted his gaze to see that even more cats were looking at Fishreek and him now. He felt his fur bristle along his spine apprehensively as whispers carried to his pricked ears. Instinctively, he fell into submission, lowering himself to the ground with his ears tucked back. He observed that Fishreek hadn't felt the same impulse; she stood tall and gazed defiantly at a brown she-cat in the crowd, who instantly looked away.

After a few uncomfortable moments, a yellow tabby tom broke apart from the others and padded towards them. Hareheart started to back away, but when he saw that the tom's amber eyes were focused on Fishreek, he shrugged off his submission methods and stood beside his sister in an act of instinctive protection. She sent him a look, and he nodded and pressed against her affectionately. Although he was sure that this tom meant no harm, he could not afford to lose his other sister.

The approaching tom halted beside them, placing a sheathed paw upon Fishreek's shoulder.

"Calm your fury; you will receive no harm here." His voice was low and reassuring. "Petalbreeze has explained everything to us."

Fishreek seemed unconvinced. "Then why are we not receiving a warm welcome?" she demanded, her eyes alight with flame, yet Hareheart could see that behind her burning anger, a great sorrow existed, and he realized that her short temper was resulting from Thornhide's death.

The tom gave a heavy sigh and met her eyes with his clear, cool ones, causing her to calm down slightly. "You two, while subjects of unruly punishment and shame, still represent your Clan, which, as you know only too well, has recently launched an unexpected attack upon our Clan." The tom flicked his tail towards the MeadowClan cats watching nearby. "It is only natural that you would be greeted with suspicion and curiosity, especially when you appeared at the scene."

Fishreek's anger appeared to deflate as his words sunk in, and Hareheart couldn't help but take notice of a fresh wound stretched across the tom's face, a sign that he had been pained greatly by Hareheart's own Clan. Just then, Petalbreeze emerged from within the enormous tree, followed by a lithe, light brown she-cat with pale green eyes. She too bore claw marks all across her pelt, yet she seemed unhindered by them.

"Greetings, I am Violetstar," the she-cat informed them. She then gestured towards the yellow tabby tom. "This is Reefwind, my deputy."

Reefwind dipped his head in response.

"Hareheart, Fishreek, I would like to speak with you two in private," Violetstar announced, turning back towards the tree. She started back inside, gesturing with her tail for them to follow her. Hareheart couldn't help but feel a sense of dread at the thought of entering the leader's den with only his sister. He turned to Petalbreeze to see her nodding her approval. The sight reassured him, and without any more hesitation Hareheart stepped inside.

He entered a small room with Fishreek at his side. He breathed in the smell of fresh pine as he cast his gaze around the area. The ceiling was low, nearly directly overhead. Roots created the walls that surrounded him. He felt encased for some reason; like he had been led into some sort of trap, but he forced himself to swallow this feeling and settle down on the ground.

"I will be calling a meeting shortly," Violetstar began, sitting down with her thick tail covering her paws. "For I have decided that you two may join my Clan."

Hareheart's ears shot up in surprise. He turned to Fishreek to see her eyes dancing with delight.

"However, since you two come from a Clan with such different customs, it will take you some time to adjust. Therefore I will be bringing you both into the Clan as apprentices. Your mentors will be announced at the meeting."

"…Mentors?" Hareheart asked timidly, curious.

Violetstar paused a moment, as if searching her mind for an answer. "Ah, yes," she said after a few moments. "I believe they are somewhat similar to what you would call masters?"

The very word sent chills up Hareheart's spine. He heard Fishreek emit a low growl beside him.

"Yet I will have you know," Violetstar continued, in no way affected by their reaction. "Instead of teaching with violence and shame, as your masters are known to, our mentors teach with love and admiration. They carefully observe the positive and negative qualities in their apprentices, and seek to improve their flaws so that one day they may become a full-fledged warrior." When she laid her tail on Hareheart's shoulder, he just barely managed to resist the impulse to leap backwards. "I understand that it will take some time for you and your sister to become used to our ways."

He nodded in agreement as the light brown leader lifted her tail from him.

"There is one more matter to discuss," Violetstar said a-matter-a-factly. "Your CreviceClan names."

Hareheart's ears perked up in interest. What did she mean?

"I think it is time you shed your horrid names given by your birth Clan, if that is all right with you, of course."

_If it is all right? The very idea is more than all right!_ Fishreek seemed to share the same feelings, as she cried out, "Of course, that would be wonderful."

Violetstar gave a slight smile. "In that case, I will present your new apprentice names at the ceremony."

Just then Hareheart realized that he had been forgetting about something. "Wait, can you change our sister's name too? She passed away just this morning." As soon as it was out, Hareheart shrunk back, surprised by his own boldness.

Something flashed from deep within Violetstar's green eyes, but it faded in a matter of seconds. "Why yes, I can. And what would your sister's name be?"

"Thornhide," Fishreek replied swiftly before Hareheart could even open his muzzle to speak.

"I see, well now, unless you have any questions right now, I will go outside to begin the meeting." Violetstar meowed.

So many questions swarmed inside him, but Hareheart instead found himself unable to speak. Of course, Fishreek found the strength to ask instead.

"Yes, are you entirely sure that everyone will welcome us with kindness despite our past?"

Violetstar let out a sigh. "Well, I cannot guarantee that; everyone has their own unique personalities. However, I can promise you that no one here will go to the extremes that your Clan has been known to do quite too often."

Fishreek nodded, satisfied.

"Very well," Violetstar meowed. "Just remember this: loyalty to the Clan is the key, and that key can only be obtained when the stars are audible." Before Hareheart could decipher this, the light brown leader was heading out of the tree, and he found his paws padding after her. He and Fishreek exchanged glances that both shared the same question: _What was that? _

Soon the thought was momentarily tossed aside as Hareheart witnessed Violetstar leap onto a low branch and address her Clan.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highbranch for a Clan meeting."

Within moments the cats of MeadowClan had gathered beneath the Highbranch and were looking upwards at their leader. Hareheart and Fishreek quickly followed, sitting down at the edge of the crowd.

"I would like to announce that we will be welcoming two more members into our Clan." There were a few cheers, but most simply turned to stare with eyes full of curiosity at Hareheart and Fishreek. Hareheart felt his fur twitch slightly, but he managed to keep his submission instincts under control.

"However, I feel it is necessary to inform you all that these two new members are from CreviceClan. Do not fear though, for our two newest members were treated as slaves in their birth Clan. They have gone through much, so I would simply like to ask that you will approach them with respect and generosity. Are there any objections to these two joining our Clan?"

From formal air the last phrase contained, Hareheart assumed that this was a customary addition when welcoming foreign cats into the Clan. Fortunately, it was met with utter silence, which allowed for Hareheart to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Very well. Now, before I officially welcome Hareheart and Fishreek into the Clan, it has been decided that I shall change their names before the eyes of StarClan."

_The eyes of StarClan? What is this "StarClan?"_ Hareheart wondered briefly.

"Spirits of StarClan, you know every cat by name," Violetstar meowed, her gaze now focused intensely on the sky above her. "I ask you now to take away the names from the two cats that you see before you, for it no longer stands for what they are. By my authority as Clan leader, and with the approval of our warrior ancestors, I give these cats new names. From this moment on, they will be known as Harepaw and Fishpaw. We honor their spirit and independence." Harepaw followed his leader's gaze to the sky, although he was unsure why. He felt an unfamiliar feeling surging from within him: freedom. Freedom to live without feeling embarrassed when his name was called. Freedom to forget where his was from and to live in the now. How sweet it felt.

Harepaw was jerked back into reality as Violetstar continued. "Also, may I ask, great spirits of StarClan, if you can give the sister of these two cats, currently known as Thornhide, a new name as well. From this moment on, she will be known as Thornpaw. May you guide her towards arriving safely in StarClan."

Harepaw nodded solemnly. Of course she hadn't forgotten to change his sister's name as well. He now felt slightly better about her death; at least she didn't have to take her horrendous CreviceClan name with her into the afterlife. But still, it sounded like StarClan was MeadowClan's place for the afterlife. What was it like there? Was it better than the Dark Forest, where the cats of CreviceClan were condemned after death for having failed their Clan?

"These newcomers will be brought in as apprentices so they can learn our ways. Breezepelt," Violetstar stated, her gaze now fixed on a small, wispy, silver tom. "You are a wise and loyal warrior. May you pass down all you know to Harepaw." Breezepelt stepped forward and touched noses with Harepaw, an act he was entirely unprepared for. However, when he made contact with the dark blue eyes of his mentor, he saw signs of hidden misery and grief. Something he could relate to.

"Sorreltail, you are a skilled and loyal warrior. May you pass down all your knowledge to Fishpaw."

A smoky gray she-cat with bright yellow eyes padded towards Fishpaw and touched noses with her. There was a pause, and then Violetstar finished with, "Please welcome Harepaw and Fishpaw as our newest members of the Clan."


	11. The Dream

"And then you coil up your haunches, and pounce for the killing blow." Breezepelt performed a demonstration as Harepaw nodded, watching intently. It was his first training lesson in MeadowClan after having been given a tour of the territory the day before, and already Harepaw was surprised at the immense difference between this Clan and his former one. Here he was able to learn without the fear of being tortured in the process.

"Why not you give it a try, Harepaw?" Breezepelt suggested, breaking through Harepaw's train of thought. He nodded once more and crouched down to the ground. He focused on a nearby leaf, green with the brown stains of decay. Wiggling his haunches, Harepaw then sprang into the air, his gaze never leaving his target. He missed by nearly a half of a tail-length; the wind caused by his attempt fluttered the leaf into the air, spiraling into a nearby bush. Naturally, Harepaw felt disgraced by his failure, and held his head down as he waited for a nasty retort. Instead, he heard a _mrrow_ of laughter erupt from his mentor.

"Looks like your prey ran away," Breezepelt joked, seemingly unaware of Harepaw's humble instincts. "Give it another try; this time lower your haunches a bit, all right?"

Harepaw forced himself to relax, and then attempted the move several more times until he managed to land directly on his target. For the most part, he enjoyed the training session, stopping every now and then to get a look at the scenery; newleaf had arrived, as shown from the tall green grass surrounding him, and the occasional flower peeking out. As he practiced, he sensed a bond forming between his mentor and him; a bond that he hadn't even achieved a fragment of with Pantherclaw. It was still hard to believe that that life was far behind him, though both the physical and mental scars would never diminish.

As the sun began to retreat below the horizon, Breezepelt stretched for a heartbeat, and then straightened up. "You're doing really great for your first lesson; let's call it a day and head back to camp; maybe we can catch a little something on the way back." Harepaw followed obediently as Breezepelt led the way towards camp.

When they were nearly half way there, a soft rustle in the towering grass sounded, announcing the presence of a vole. Its dark eyes shifted from side to side, alert as it scampered about in search of food. Breezepelt and Harepaw halted in their tracks and dropped to the ground before it could spot them. Breezepelt rested his tail on his apprentice's shoulder, signaling that he wanted him to try to catch it. Harepaw immediately began to stalk forward, keeping his training session in mind as he moved in for the kill. As the vole stood still for a few heartbeats, he bunched up his haunches and then pounced, paws flailing. He came down fast, slamming one paw onto the vole's skull before it could react. While it was dazed, he lowered his head and delivered the killing bite to the neck.

"Nice kill," Breezepelt meowed as Harepaw gripped his catch in his jaws. For the first time in what seemed like moons, Harepaw smiled as he bounded back to camp behind his mentor. He had thoroughly enjoyed his training session.

When they arrived back in camp, Harepaw was about to drop his catch in the fresh kill pile, when Breezepelt shook his head and mewed, "Can you give that to the elders? Their den is over there." He gestured towards a clump of roots that had originated from the enormous tree in the center of the camp. Harepaw nodded and padded over, glancing over his shoulder to see Breezepelt heading inside the warriors' den. He wondered briefly if apprentices slept outside the camp as they did in CreviceClan, but he dismissed that thought for later as he approached the elders' den. Three cats dwelled there; one, a dark brown tabby with white hairs on his muzzle, was sound asleep in a bed of moss, while a white cat with gleaming yellow eyes was nodding intently as a young tortoiseshell she-cat with only a stump for one paw spoke to her.

"I mean I just couldn't believe her! So then I-" the tortoiseshell she-cat broke off when she spotted Harepaw. She narrowed her eyes, recoiling slightly. "Oh, it's one of the two CreviceClan newcomers," she spat.

The mention of his former Clan stung Harepaw as he quietly set the vole down before her, careful to avoid her glare. He recalled Violetstar saying earlier that not every cat would welcome him with open paws into the Clan; now he could see that she had been entirely true. Though he noticed that the white she-cat was shaking her head as the tortoiseshell cat continued.

"Parading into this camp, expecting us to leap for joy at their presence after having raked their claws all over our pelts and our camp. The nerve!" It took nearly all of Harepaw's strength not to give in to his submissive instincts as the she-cat's angry gaze bore into him. For just a heartbeat, the tortoiseshell she-cat's face transformed, and instead he was seeing his mother's white face and blue eyes. He saw her sneering as she looked down on him, that cruel, merciless sneer that could only mean he was about to be punished. Harepaw shut his eyes, erasing the image, but it left him feeling suddenly weak and wobbly on his paws.

"My apologies," he choked, and then, with a quick dip of his head to the arrogant elder, Harepaw slipped out the den. He suddenly bumped into a mound of yellow tabby fur, and looked up to see Reefwind.

"Sorry," he muttered, and then started to back away before Reefwind put a paw in the way.

"Don't pay Redfoot any mind, Harepaw. She was testing you; she tends to do that with many newcomers," Reefwind explained. "I'll go over there and tell her off; she shouldn't be doing that anymore."

Reefwind's presence and respectful manner towards Harepaw calmed him down a bit. "Thank you," he replied. Then, with a quick glance at the darkening sky, he added, "Where should my sisters and I sleep for the night?"

Reefwind flicked his tail towards a loose bramble thicket covered in moss. "The apprentices' den, of course." Silently relieved that he wouldn't have to sleep outside, Harepaw thanked him again and then slowly began padding towards the apprentices' den, keeping his eye out for his sister as he went.

Activity in the camp was relatively slow. He spotted a black tom with white patches sharing a mouse with a ginger she-cat, and a young, mottled, light brown apprentice heading towards the medicine cat den with fresh herbs in her jaws, but not Fishpaw. However, when he at last entered the den, Fishpaw was already there, lying down in a bed of moss and chatting with another apprentice.

"Hi Harepaw!" she mewed as he settled down beside her, enjoying the unusual, yet comfortable feeling of soft moss under his fur. Fishpaw looked better than ever; a pleasant spark shone in her eyes. "I think I've just had the best day in my life."

"Well that day is over just yet," pointed out the apprentice whom Fishpaw had been talking with earlier. He was a white cat with black spots and amber eyes that had not turned away from Fishpaw since Harepaw had entered.

Fishpaw _mrrow_ed with laughter at the apprentice's comment. "You have a point there, Rowanpaw." Harepaw shifted uncomfortably in his nest; for some reason the situation slightly unsettled him. He yearned to discuss the day's events with her, especially hoping to untie the knot that had formed in his stomach since his visit to the elders by sorting that out with her, but it just didn't seem right with Rowanpaw being there.

Harepaw gave a sigh as Fishpaw and Rowanpaw engaged in another conversation without him. He stood up, kneaded his moss bed, and then settled back down again to sleep. After a few heartbeats, he became encased in his own silent world, where he gradually fell asleep.

…

Harepaw stood in the center of the MeadowClan camp, all the cats he had seen that day crowded around him. They were all immersed in conversation, leaving him feeling isolated. All of a sudden, an ominous dark cloud of mist drifted in towards the camp, silent like a cat poised to pounce. Harepaw seemed to be the only one to notice it; he panicked and tried to tell the others, but they wouldn't turn their heads. It was like he didn't exist. Harepaw finally gave up, and turned his back on them. All of a sudden, the mist moved in, and in a flash, Harepaw was encased within it. He attempted to break through, to run back to his Clanmates, but the mist was as thick as a tree trunk, and when he tried to slam through it, he only received a great rush of pain.

Harepaw collapsed to the ground from his efforts, and it was then that the mist formed the shape of a cat with startling blue eyes. Harepaw gasped; he could recognize those eyes anywhere; the slant to them, the cruel glint shining beneath. He recalled seeing those eyes earlier when he had been insulted by the elder Redfoot. They were the eyes of his mother.

The form of Snowstar shifted, and there was an eerie sigh in the air as she reached out towards Harepaw, a small thrush cupped in her forepaw. Its dead beady eyes seemed to stare right at him, sending a chill up his spine. Just as Harepaw began to wonder why he was being shown this, all of a sudden the scene changed, although the misty form of Snowstar remained. Now he was staring into a rushing river, its normally clear water clogged with dark red blood. Harepaw was sickened by the smell that reached his nostrils, and the metallic tang in the air. Just then, he felt an unknown force shove him, and he began to fall for what felt like an eternity, the bloody river never leaving his sight.

The scene shifted once more, and Harepaw plummeted straight down into a field of tall grass. He hadn't been given time to prepare himself for the end of the fall, so his body ached all over. Groaning, Harepaw stumbled to his paws to see the wavering dark figure of Snowstar yet again. He heard a low, snarling sound emitting from beneath her, and out stepped what appeared to be the silhouette of a fox. Tendrils of darkness seeped out from its outline as it stepped towards him, still growling. Suddenly its eyes flashed red, and lunged towards Harepaw, jaws snapping.

Harepaw jumped in fright and tried to dash away, but once again the walls of mist blocked him. The fox closed in, spitting with rage, while Snowstar merely watched, a sneer plastered on her shifting muzzle as she watched the scene. Harepaw's back was against the mist; he had nowhere to run. He could only shiver in utter fear and brace himself as the fox prepared to strike. Then it happened; the fox bared its teeth and then sunk them into his leg, leaving scarlet bite marks; the pain was unbearable, and there was a shrill shriek, but Harepaw hadn't made a sound. The shriek came from afar, and the voice was only too familiar to Harepaw.

The fox seemed to melt into the mist, dark fragments spiraling until they had forged and were undistinguishable from the tendrils of mist, only Harepaw no longer cared. His ears were pricked in the direction where the shriek had sounded. Fishpaw was in trouble! He stood up; the pain from his bitten leg no longer mattered. He didn't know how to react, just that he should. He took one step forwards, and then all of a sudden the shadowy, shifting form of Snowstar cried out.

"Time for another day of training!" Harepaw shot up from his bed of moss, which was torn and scattered all across the den. His body still felt sore, as if he had been running all night long. With wide eyes, he looked up and saw Fishpaw stand over him.

"You look terrible! What happened?" Harepaw realized that he had been breathing heavily as well; he took a moment to try and calm down.

"You're…you're okay…" he murmured, the events of the night's dream still vivid in his mind. Harepaw soon became aware that Rowanpaw and two other apprentices were staring at him as if he was a lunatic. As he gradually become aware that he had been dreaming after all, the dream seemed to vanish into a deep corner of his mind. Harepaw shook himself, got to his paws, and followed Fishpaw out of the den for his next day in MeadowClan.

** You won't believe how long it took me to write this chapter. I just spent an entire afternoon and evening on this short little chapter. :/ Still, I hope you enjoyed it. PLEASE REVIEW; it'll mean the world to me. ^^  
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	12. The Thrush

Shaking moss scraps from his pelt, Harepaw stepped outside of the den after Fishpaw and Rowanpaw. He took a moment to breathe in the fresh air, enjoying the feeling of a breeze ruffling his fur. With a prick of annoyance, he noticed that Rowanpaw and Fishpaw were talking and laughing with each other again. He brushed by them without a sound, padding towards where Breezepelt was waiting for him.

Breezepelt kneaded his paws against the ground, clearly anxious to begin. "Let's do some battle practice today, all right?" he suggested as soon as Harepaw was within earshot. He nodded and followed him out of camp and into the forest. On their way to the training hollow, Harepaw couldn't help but recall the last time he had practiced battling. That had been when Pantherclaw ended up trying to kill him due to her frustration with his constant dodging. The thought sent a shiver through Harepaw, though he did also remembered that that was what had caused Petalbreeze to rescue him from that awful end. _I owe her my life…_

The soft grass underneath Harepaw's pads gave way to dusty dirt, and he looked around to see that they had arrived. Breezepelt kept going until he was several tail-lengths away, and then turned around and faced Harepaw.

"Before we begin, let me just say first off that your claws must be sheathed." This both relieved and surprised Harepaw, as in CreviceClan there was no such rule. He felt his earlier anxieties diminish at this as he sheathed his claws obediently.

Breezepelt continued, "Now, to start this off, we'll have a quick battle between the two of us so I can learn what you're good at, and what you might need a little more practice with. Don't worry, I'll go easy on you. Are you ready?"

Harepaw swallowed the last of his fears and nodded. A heartbeat later, Breezepelt started it off by charging recklessly forward. He was slow enough that Harepaw easily slipped of the way. Breezepelt halted in his tracks, turned around, and then came barreling towards him again. Just as Harepaw was preparing himself to dodge again, the silver tom suddenly stopped in front of him and, before he could react, brought his paw down on his head. The hit was light, and Harepaw could see that Breezepelt withheld a lot of strength from it. He saw his mentor signal for him to step back to where they had started, so he did so.

Harepaw stood light on his paws as he waited for another frontal attack from Breezepelt, but instead the silver tom stayed where he was, a challenge in his eyes. Harepaw understood the message, and, rather reluctantly, started to dash forward. He had no clue what he should do once he got there; the idea of directly attacking his mentor just didn't seem right at that moment.

His hesitance seemed to clear to Breezepelt, as he shook his head and ordered for Harepaw to stop. "Your dodging skills are pretty defined," he informed Harepaw. "But you've got a lot of work to do before you can be entirely confident on the battlefield." Harepaw looked down at his paws, slightly ashamed.

Breezepelt seemed to notice this, as he added, "Okay, I'll teach you some moves, all right?" Harepaw nodded, determined this time not to feel reluctance.

"All right, here's one. It's pretty simple and easy to master. When you're in a tight situation, stop struggling and fall limp. When your opponent relaxes his grip, thinking you are defeated, push up against him or her with all your might. Here, get on top of me; I'll give you a demonstration."

Harepaw stepped forward and, as instructed, positioned himself on top of Breezepelt. It felt slightly odd to be on top of his mentor; to be in control. Breezepelt began to struggle, making Harepaw feel awful that if this were a real situation, then he would be the cause of his frantic actions. Next the silver tom grew still and Harepaw, recalling the description of the move, relaxed his grip. Finally, Breezepelt shoved against his apprentice explosively, sending him into the air. Harepaw managed to land safely, and watched as Breezepelt leapt to his paws and faced him.

"Got it? Now you try it on me." Harepaw laid down and waited as Breezepelt took his place on top of him. He then started to thrash about, and it was in that moment that all of a sudden the scene changed, and he was beneath Pantherclaw instead. A wicked hunger shone in her eyes as she raised a paw, her claws illuminated by the sun, and swiped them down into his flesh. Harepaw closed his eyes and cried out in agony. When he opened them again, Breezepelt was back, looking worried.

"Are you all right? Did I let my claws slip?" Harepaw shook his head, trying to forget what he had just seen. He felt weak and was shaking all over, just as he felt after the image of Snowstar flashed on Redfoot's face. _I can't keep having these flashbacks. That life is behind me now. _

Breezepelt had gotten back up at that point, and he still looked troubled. Harepaw could tell that he had disappointed his mentor so far. After a few more heartbeats, Breezepelt got to his paws and meowed, "We're done for the day. Let's go back to camp." Harepaw nodded and forced his wobbly legs to move. They walked back in utter silence.

Upon arriving, Harepaw saw Violetstar leaping onto the Highbranch with ease.

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the Highbranch for a Clan meeting." He padded towards where already a crowd of cats had formed. As he settled down at the edge of the crowd, Harepaw noticed a gray female kit with yellow eyes slowly heading towards the meeting, followed by a tan and white she-cat, who he guessed to be the her mother. Most of the other kits in MeadowClan were always extremely energetic and rambunctious, but this gray kit walked with her head down and a cloudy look to her eyes. She appeared to be depressed about something.

"Mistkit," began Violetstar, addressing the gray kit. "You have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Mistpaw." Her gaze traveled through the crowd until they came to rest on Petalbreeze. She looked pleasantly surprised as her leader addressed her.

"Petalbreeze, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You will be the mentor of Mistpaw, and I expect you to pass down all you know down to her." Petalbreeze stepped forward and touched noses with Mistpaw, who looked up at her with sad eyes.

"Mistpaw, Mistpaw, Mistpaw!" cried the cats of MeadowClan as they celebrated the making of the new apprentice. Harepaw watched as Mistpaw trudged towards the apprentices' den, her back on her Clan. The applause died down quickly at everyone realized she had moved on. He saw many shake their heads, a sympathetic look in their eyes. Harepaw was puzzled at this; he felt like the only one who didn't understand. Then he glanced at Fishpaw, and saw that she shared his confusion. _What happened to Mistpaw to make her act like that? _

Harepaw sighed and stood up, dismissing the thought. Suddenly feeling hungry, he headed towards the fresh-kill pile. There were only two mice and a small thrush, so he grasped the thrush, wanting to leave better choices for others. He saw Fishpaw come up beside him and grab a mouse. Harepaw, seeing a chance to finally discuss their days in MeadowClan so far, nudged his sister and flicked his tail towards a quiet spot in the camp. Fishpaw nodded and followed him over.

Suddenly all that had happened to him after their acceptance into the Clan came swarming onto the tip of his tongue. His success with hunting, being tested by Redfoot, his horrific dream, which still managed to creep its way into his mind every now and then, his failure with battle training. In CreviceClan, Harepaw and his sisters always knew what was going on with each other; they were united amidst all the pain and fear. Now he almost felt as though they were slowly drifting apart, and the presence of Rowanpaw never helped. He wouldn't allow things to continue that way.

Harepaw dropped his thrush to the ground with a dull thud and began. "Fishpaw, I-"

"Stop!" The two siblings looked up to see a pale ginger she-cat with dark brown points bounding towards them from the medicine cat den, horror in her eyes. The mottled light brown apprentice Harepaw had seen carrying herbs the other day dashed after the medicine cat.

"Fernleaf, what's wrong?" the apprentice asked as she came to a stop. But when her gaze followed her mentor's down to the thrush, her eyes widened in fear. When Harepaw had dropped his meal, three shining red berries had rolled out of the beak. As he stared at them in wonder, pondering over how they had gotten there, a thought pulled at the edge of his brain, but it wouldn't reveal itself to him.

"Those are death berries," Fernleaf explained, her voice quivering slightly. "You would be dead by now if you had eaten those. I'm not sure how they ended up in that thrush, but take note from now on to never, _ever_, eat those. Do you understand?" Harepaw nodded slowly, a chill running up his spine as he gazed at them again. As the medicine cat and her apprentice padded away, Harepaw turned to Fishpaw again, who was gazing at the death berries, looking stunned. Harepaw had lost the urge to talk with her, so he padded away quietly to the apprentices' den to think.

Harepaw gave a long sigh and settled into a moss bed. He soon became aware of Mistpaw's presence nearby, and glanced over to see her laying in moss, her head down and her ears tucked back. He yearned to question her about her behavior during the ceremony, but she didn't seem to be in the mood to talk.

Harepaw's thoughts turned to the incident that had just occurred. The sight of those three red berries was somehow eerie and yet familiar. Suddenly that thought worked its way out into the open, and he remembered the shadowy form of Snowstar reaching towards him in his dream, a small thrush in her paw. "You would be dead by now if you had eaten those," Fernleaf had said. Everything began to click into place. Was Snowstar trying to kill him with the four different schemes mentioned in the dream? His heart sank as he realized that that could very well be true. How could he expect that life to entirely disappear? Other apprentices were still being tortured there; the Clan lived on without him only about a day's journey away. Snowstar could easily send cats over with orders to kill him.

A wet and rhythmic sound brought Harepaw back to reality. He gazed outside to see rain splattering onto the camp in tiny clear droplets. This sent many cats dashing into their dens to avoid getting soaked. When Fishpaw appeared at the entrance of the den, Rowanpaw was once again at her side, laughing along with her about something entirely unknown to Harepaw. For just a heartbeat, as Harepaw observed them in silence, he wished that Thornpaw was still alive; she would listen to him. But then he shoved that selfish thought aside because there had been a few moments that day when he could've talked with Fishpaw, but he hadn't used them. Though he still couldn't help but miss his quiet, gentle sister.

The sky had changed swiftly. Already swelling dark gray clouds had formed and clustered in the sky, shutting out the sun and the promise of a sunny day. The rain increased in number and power, and Harepaw heard thunder rumbling in the distance. Although it wasn't quite night yet, Harepaw felt an aching tiredness seeping into his bones. He finally gave in and managed to doze off despite the many loud interjections, almost fearing what tomorrow what bring.

**Yay! Another short chapter! Yeah, I'm sure you don't appreciate it as much as I do. XD But hey, I'm officially back into the writing mood; I've now planned the major points in the plot and am working to sew in what I can throw in between. And really, I can't stress this enough: I'd truly appreciate it if you took the time to review. I think I'll stress that point at the end of every chapter now. XP Anyway, enough rambling. Thanks for reading! **


	13. The River

A loud crack of thunder caused Harepaw to jolt awake. The noise continued to echo through his mind as he opened his eyes groggily, not enjoying the fact that he had been rudely awakened. The other apprentices were still asleep, their pelts slowly rising and falling.

He peered outside to see that the storm had only grown worse. The rain was battering the camp aggressively, and lightning seemed to strike every few heartbeats, always announced first by thunder. The branches of the grand tree in the center of the camp swayed with the powerful whistling wind, creaking ominously. The sky above was pitch black, illuminated only by a glowing half moon.

Harepaw shivered at the sights and sounds, but he was able to gather that he had likely been woken up in the middle of the night. He started to turn away, but a flash of amber from the tall grass just beyond the camp caught his eye. Harepaw leaned forward, focusing his gaze as the amber form appeared again. He pulled back in shock when he realized what he was looking at, or more like what was looking at him. He was being watched by a pair of gleaming amber eyes!

…

Bright light filtered into the apprentices' den, gradually increasing in power until at last Harepaw was started awake. He could hardly remember what had happened last night, and dismissed it as a dream as he shifted in his nest to get a better look outside.

The storm had died down overnight. Only light rain still fell now. The tall grass surrounding the camp was slippery with shining water, and a calming mist hung in the camp.

Harepaw was still discouraged despite the dramatic changes; his training would most likely be delayed thanks to the rain that continued to pour. But then he recalled his last battle training session, and was now slightly relieved not to have to face that at the moment.

He turned back to the den and discovered that Fishpaw and Rowanpaw were whispering quietly to each other while Mistpaw and the two other apprentices slept fitfully. Harepaw still felt a bit annoyed as he watched his sister, but he forced himself to push that feeling away; she could do as she liked. Suddenly there was a pause in their conversation, and Rowanpaw faced Harepaw.

"You don't talk much, do you?" Harepaw was puzzled at this sudden question. What did it matter? He shifted his gazed to Fishpaw, hoping she didn't approve of this, but she avoided his gaze. Harepaw had no response, so he turned away. He heard Rowanpaw snort behind him as he turned back to Fishpaw.

Just then the sunlight shining into the den was blocked by Reefwind, Petalbreeze, and a black tom with white patches whom he had heard others call Nightpatch as they entered the den.

Reefwind waited until Fishpaw and Rowanpaw had stopped speaking, and then addressed them. "Despite the rain, we have to get out and hunt for the Clan. The fresh-kill pile was rather small yesterday, and what remained is now soaked, muddy, and inedible. Most likely the storm chased away all the land prey, but the fish should be thriving in the river this after all this rain. Does anyone want to join us?"

"I do," Mistpaw mewed from the shadows of the den. Harepaw hadn't realized she had woken. He felt the urge to leave the den too, so he also volunteered.

I'll go too." Harepaw padded out of the den with Mistpaw and followed the warriors out of the camp. The rain pelting the patrol actually soothed Harepaw some, as if washing away his troubles with Rowanpaw and his sister. As soon as they had walked into the grass, each blade swishing silently with the wind and dripping with rainwater, Reefwind flicked his tail, signaling for them to halt in their tracks.

"Nightpatch and I will fish in the stream at the edge of the forest," he announced. "Petalbreeze, take Harepaw and Mistpaw with you to the river east of here." Harepaw suddenly realized he did not know how to fish, but Reefwind was prepared for that. "If they can't fish, teach them, but be sure to split up afterwards so as not to scare the prey." The deputy paused, and then added, "Off you go then."

Reefwind and Nightpatch slipped away, their tails waving for a moment through the grass before disappearing all together. Petalbreeze turned to Harepaw and Mistpaw.

"You two aren't aware how to catch fish, correct?" They nodded. "That's fine; I picked up the skill nearly half a season ago, but I know enough to show you guys. Follow me."

Harepaw obeyed and trailed behind her with Mistpaw padding a few paces ahead. He again briefly considered questioning her about her actions during her ceremony; he still saw a glimmer of sadness pass through her eyes every now and then, and his curiosity about the matter had so far failed to falter.

They arrived to see that the river had swelled in size overnight, fed by the rain, and sure enough, silver fish occasionally leapt out, glittering drops of water clinging stubbornly to their smooth, rippling scales. Petalbreeze made sure Harepaw and Mistpaw had pried their attention away from the river and back to her before speaking.

"So, the concept of fishing is pretty simple," she explained. "It just takes a while to master. I'll give you two a demonstration."

Petalbreeze then crouched at the riverbank. Her paws were wet from shallow water that had not reached as far the previous morning. Petalbreeze stared at the river for a considerable amount of time as fish after fish leapt by without her moving a muscle. This confused Harepaw slightly, but then when a fish sprang out the water right beside her, Petalbreeze was ready. In a flash, her paw had darted into the air and hooked into her target. With admirable skill, she twisted to the side and sent the fish flying onto the ground, where it floundered about helplessly. Then she pinned the fish to the ground with one paw, leaned down, and delivered the killing bite. It gave one last flop, and then stilled permanently. Petalbreeze looked back up at the two apprentices.

"All right, now split up. Harepaw, head downstream, and Mistpaw, you go up. I'll stay and fish here." Harepaw nodded in understanding and started to leave, his gaze lingering for a moment on her kind blue eyes that he had admired since he first met her. Then they traveled upwards to the scar dealt by Snowstar, and Harepaw flinched and quickly began heading downstream. Petalbreeze had taken that blow for him. She could've moved on and left him to die by Pantherclaw's claws.

Figuring he was far enough away, Harepaw stopped and faced the river. Remembering Petalbreeze's demonstration, he crouched at the riverbank, feeling the cool water lap at his paws. He watched the fish carefully, and then when one jumped near him he tried to swipe at it, but he was too slow. He made several more failed attempts until finally his claws met flesh, and he tossed the wriggling silver fish onto the bank and gave the killing bite. Satisfied, Harepaw then turned back to the river to catch more.

His ears pricked at a sudden change in the atmosphere. He could just barely make out the sound of soft, velvety paw steps in the grass behind him. Then, before he could react, he felt something slam roughly into him from behind, and he toppled headfirst into the river. In the heartbeat where he fell, staring in horror at the river directly beneath him, in his mind it became clogged with blood and he could taste the metallic tang in the air. With a shiver he realized his dream had returned to him and had become reality.

The force that he had received was so powerful that he sank all the way to the bottom, scraping his shoulder on a jagged rock jutting out. Pain shot through him, quick as an adder strike, and he opened his jaws in what would normally be a yowl of pain, but instead he got a mouthful of water. His lungs began to burn with the lack of air, so he swam desperately to the surface, relishing in the rush of sweet air. He then flailed about without any knowledge of how to swim properly as wave after wave raced over his head, forcing him momentarily back under.

Then he saw an enormous wave forming and gathering behind him; when it crashed over him, he sank back down into the watery depths. Suddenly, through squinted eyes, he saw a thin stream of scarlet blood flowing from his shoulder wound and into the water. Horror-struck, Harepaw became paralyzed with fear; his dream couldn't have been more accurate. Why didn't he heed the warning and stay in the apprentices' den? His lungs became inflamed once more, but this time he was distracted by nightmarish visions engulfing his very being. Once again he was experiencing that dream, falling for all eternity above a bloody river.

He heard a faded, distant version of Petalbreeze's voice calling his name, and at first he simply believed that he was imagining it. Then it became louder, piercing through his thoughts and replacing them with the image of her distinctive blue eyes. Harepaw snapped back to reality and just barely managed to push his way to the surface. He inhaled fresh air, greatly relieved. He saw Petalbreeze leaning towards the river on the bank.

During a break between waves, Harepaw called out to her, and saw her turn and discover him. Petalbreeze, her gaze never leaving his bobbing head, sprang into the river with a mighty leap. Harepaw was briefly shoved underwater by another passing wave and lost sight of her. Then he felt her teeth sink into his scruff, and she pulled him back up. Nothing passed by that they could grip onto, so Petalbreeze was left to struggle with his weight and her own alone.

This continued for several heartbeats that felt like lifetimes in the rushing river. Harepaw felt so helpless as he dangled from Petalbreeze's firm grip; he tried his best to lighten his weight, but he had been sapped of all his strength from his own wrestle with the waves. Soon he felt that she was losing her strength; her grip loosened and he felt her chest heaving with the effort. Then it happened; another monstrous wave rushed over them, and Harepaw felt himself slip from her jaws.

He had lost all fight within him. He could already hear Snowstar roaring with wicked laughter and triumph as she heard of his death. How glad she would be to finally rid herself of her son who was only a pitiful nuisance in her heart. For the second time that day he believed himself dead. As he sank to the bottom, only one thought remained: _What did I ever do?_

…

Harepaw had blacked out by the time he was washed upon a slope in the river bank. He finally regained conscience after a paw had jabbed him repeatedly in the side. He opened his eyes; even that small act took a lot of effort. A hazy image of a gray cat shifted before him, eventually becoming clearer until he realized that it was Mistpaw.

"Are you all right? What happened?" she inquired, looking anxious. Harepaw took a moment to cough up the water in his lungs, his mind functioning slowly, and it took some time before he managed to mumble a reply.

"I-I'm okay," he stuttered. Then, suddenly, he remembered Petalbreeze and gave a violent lurch as he tried to look around him. A tidal wave of relief washed over him when he saw her body beside him, her flanks slowly rising and falling. This great amount of effort caused him to become even heavier with exhaustion.

Mistpaw stood for a moment, thinking. "I'll go get Reefwind and Nightpatch," she offered, and raced off to fulfill her word.

Harepaw lay on the bank, his mind becoming less foggy as he slowly recovered. The rain had died down and by then it had entirely stopped, although the mist remained. The amount of time it took Mistpaw to return only seemed to last a few heartbeats to him. Sure enough, Reefwind and Nightpatch were bounding after her, both carrying a few silver fish in their mouths. Harepaw had enough energy to rise then, quaking, to his paws.

"What happened here?" Nightpatch asked, dropping his fish to his paws as his gaze went from Harepaw to Petalbreeze, who had also managed to stand.

"I slipped and fell into the river," Harepaw explained briefly. He didn't have the energy to tell what had truly happened at that moment; if he said that he was pushed in, then he would have to explain many other factors along with it. Harepaw felt too exhausted to clarify all that, and he also felt as though he only wanted his sisters and Petalbreeze to know about it anyway.

"I tried to rescue him, but I ended up getting stuck in there too," Petalbreeze added with a light _mrrow _of laughter that ended in a fit of coughing and wheezing. Reefwind and Nightpatch exchanged worried glances.

"Let's go back to camp," Reefwind decided. He retrieved his fish and then nodded at them all before disappearing into the grass, Petalbreeze, Mistpaw, and Nightpatch padding after him. Harepaw's catch was laying somewhere farther upstream, but he didn't have the energy to get it, so he instead followed the patrol, his shaky walk becoming gradually steadier.


	14. Preparation

The moon had risen and fallen again twice since Harepaw had returned to camp soaking wet from the river. He had been recovering in the medicine cat den with Petalbreeze since then, Fernleaf always hovering by to check on them. He had rather enjoyed his calming stay there; he was always drifting in and out of sleep, waking up from a brief nightmare only to be reassured by the sight of Petalbreeze laying nearby. The sharp tang of herbs had almost become familiar to him, but now Fernleaf had at last announced that he could leave.

Harepaw padded out of the medicine cat den, gingerly putting less weight on the side on which he had scraped his shoulder. The wound was now covered in cobwebs and poultices, but he still felt sharp stings of pain every now and then. He sat down for a moment in a shady area of the camp and quietly observed the activities of the camp as he pondered his next move.

Petalbreeze was padding out from the medicine cat den now and heading to where Reefwind was organizing the patrols. Many cats were crowded around the Clan deputy, forming a tight semicircle as they listened for who he was assigning to them. Harepaw felt energy crackling from his paws after having been inactive for two days. He headed over to join the crowd.

"…and then Nightpatch, Harepaw, and Breezepelt can patrol the west border with Sharpwhisker in the lead." Reefwind finished. Harepaw felt a twinge of excitement; this would be his first border patrol. He padded after the rest of the patrol as they left the camp.

Dew sparkled on the blades of grass surrounding them, each one sighing softly with the wind. The air still felt moist from the storm, but the sky above was a clear blue. Harepaw enjoyed his patrol, taking some satisfaction in helping to refresh the MeadowClan scent along the border. However, his thoughts kept straying to his dream, which was now reoccurring too often for his liking. He was positive that his guess about the events after seeing the thrush was correct; Snowstar must be behind it all. The cat that had shoved him into the river had to be one of her masters.

As the patrol finished and began to head back to camp, Harepaw thought back to what had already occurred from the dream. He had seen the thrush, with its dead black eyes, and the three hidden death berries that could have killed him had he eaten them. Then he had indeed been sent falling into the rushing river, where he nearly drowned. So what was next? He thought for a moment, and then it came back to him; a vision of the shadowy fox stepping out from beneath Snowstar, its lips drawn back in an ugly snarl. A cold shiver ran up his spine. He wanted to be prepared this time; he didn't want to fall for another one of his mother's nasty death traps. But how could he face a fox?

The only way he could think of to prepare himself for a brawl with a fox would be to perfect his battle skills, but the last time he had practiced them, he just didn't have the courage to get into it. He had been afraid of harming his mentor because he might then be punished.

_I had been afraid. Afraid. _Harepaw stiffened as he walked, narrowing his eyes. Nevermore would he be afraid! He had seen for himself the difference between his rough birth Clan and his newer, gentler, one. He had realized that he would never have a reason to feel ashamed or frightened in MeadowClan, for he could always rely on their everlasting kindness and generosity. He had learned and seen much from Breezepelt, Reefwind was a fair and wise deputy, Violetstar had welcomed him and Fishpaw into the Clan with hardly any hesitation, Petalbreeze had saved his life quite a number of times, and even Redfoot had made him realize that MeadowClan wasn't all fun and games. He no longer had a reason to be afraid. He would never be unfairly punished in MeadowClan. He was living a new life, and it was time he realized that. He was a changed cat, and he could withstand against any fox!

Harepaw suddenly looked down, and saw that his fur was on end and he had unsheathed his claws without realizing it. He quickly corrected this, and continued to pad normally, though the power of his thoughts still echoed in his every move.

By the time the patrol returned, the sun had climbed high in the sky, its brilliant light shining with great power upon the MeadowClan camp. Harepaw felt famished, so he took the time to pick and eat a plump mouse from the fresh kill pile.

He still felt energy even after the long morning patrol, so he found Breezepelt sharing tongues with Sorreltail in a patch of shade.

"Can we have another battle training session?" Harepaw asked eagerly, itching to try and do better this time.

Breezepelt looked up, seeming surprised at his enthusiasm. "Now? Right after that patrol?"

Harepaw nodded slowly, but Breezepelt responded, "I think you need some rest; you could open up that shoulder wound again if you put too much pressure on it. We'll do it tomorrow morning instead."

_But what if the fox comes tonight? _Harepaw thought desperately, but Breezepelt had already turned back to Sorreltail, so he knew he had been dismissed. With a sigh, Harepaw trudged away, his head down as he wondered what to do. Then he as gazed at the entrance to the camp, a wild idea came bursting into his head. He didn't need a mentor; he could train alone.

With unnatural determination, Harepaw bounded out of camp and into the tall blades of grass. He ran swiftly, hoping no one had seen him leave. The grass whipped against his face, and when one slapped against his injured shoulder, Harepaw cried out in pain and slowed his pace. He walked now at press-paw speed, and soon reached the training hollow.

A soft breeze stirred the dust around his paws. Harepaw then took action, imagining that he was fighting a fox as he swiped out in front of him, and dodged invisible blows. As he pranced about the clearing, hissing and clawing the air, darkness gradually crept into the clearing. The sun sank below the horizon, surrendering to the moon which rose like an eerie beacon in the night sky, casting its glowing glare down into the meadow. Harepaw felt his energy being sapped out of him, and his decent slashes soon became slower and weaker.

Harepaw felt tired, but he forced the feeling away as he continued. His breath was coming in ragged gasps, and his fur was fluffed up against the cold night air. Soon he hardly had the energy to make another move, yet he still forced himself keep going. As the darkness seeped into every corner of his vision, he lost his sense of direction and leaped back to avoid an imaginary blow, crashing right into the trunk of a tree. Harepaw collapsed into the dust, chills running up and down his spine. He lay down for a few heartbeats, and then forced himself back up to continue his invisible battle with the shadowy fox, even though his exhausted body screamed in protest and his wounded shoulder stung terribly. He leaped and pounced and clawed and bit and dodged, but it wasn't enough. It would never be enough. How could he ever believe he could face a full-grown fox? The image of the snarling fox from his dream seemed to be hovering over him, laughing at his futile, pointless attempts to prepare for its arrival.

Harepaw's paw caught on a root poking out of the clearing, and he fell face first back into the dust. This time he had used all of his energy. He lost the will to continue. What was the point anyway? He was only being foolish; he should have waited until morning so he could have a proper battle training session. Harepaw remained still, desperately trying to recover the energy to return to camp before morning, but he still felt drained.

Harepaw suddenly felt a strong emotion replace his exhaustion, one he had rarely experienced before: anger. He found himself crying out in frustration at the unfairness of it all. Why couldn't he have been born in MeadowClan instead? Then he would never have to worry about an evil mother who wanted him dead, and he would never have to face all these horrors that she had prepared for him. What kind of mother would do that? Her heart was twisted, rotten from the torture that she too had endured during her apprentice years. Every CreviceClan cat was born a disgrace; they had to triumph and prove to their Clan that they deserved a better rank despite just how difficult it was. He didn't know how Snowstar had achieved this and more, for becoming Clan leader was like crossing a monstrous Thunderpath in which you couldn't see the other side, and monsters were always roaring by, intent on smashing you to bits. But he still believed that she had achieved the position through wicked schemes and bloodlust.

He shouldn't have to worry about being assaulted by a fox! Harepaw shoved himself to his paws, spitting with rage at the thickening gloom surrounding him.

"Come out and show yourself, you mangy mutt!" he screamed, but his cry was lost in the night, entirely pointless. Harepaw whipped from side to side, his claws scraping through the dust, sending it spiraling into the air, but no fox ever showed. "You coward!"

Suddenly there was a flash of dazzling white light right in Harepaw's eyes, and he stumbled backwards in utter shock. _No, you are the coward,_ an unknown voice hissed in his ear. _You_ cannot_ alter destiny. _

Harepaw sat idly, his anger dying down as the light diminished back into the night. What had happened to him? If he had told about how he acted just then back when he was a CreviceClan apprentice, he would have never believed it for an instant. And yet there he was, his body aching with exhaustion after battling with an imaginary fox and experiencing sudden anger. Harepaw felt as though the light and the voice had shocked him roughly back to his senses. The feeling of anger was so fierce and destructive; if that flame hadn't been distinguished, then it might've spread until it melted his heart and his mind.

_That wasn't…me,_ he thought simply. Whatever had just spoken to him, Harepaw silently thanked it for the effect it had on him. He got to his paws to leave clearing, when a bitter and unfamiliar scent reached his nose. Harepaw's feeling of calm was shattered as he swept his gaze along the edges of the clearing that were enshrouded with a blanket of ebony gloom. His eyes widened in fear as the scent grew more powerful.

"No, no, no," he moaned softly as he saw the outline of none other than a fox against the blackness. Not now, after he had used up all of his energy for a useless training session! Not now! A low, menacing growl erupted from the fox as it stepped lightly out of the shadows, it eyes glittering with hunger and madness. Harepaw tried to back away, but he knew it was too late. The fox had seen him, and it looked very sick and thin. No doubt it was seeing him as easy prey.

The voice echoed in his mind just then. _You _cannot _alter your destiny._ Harepaw dug his paws into the dust and faced the fox head on. There was nothing he could do. He had dreamt of facing this fox, and he could not change that from happening. As the fox advanced, his teeth flashing in the moonlight, Harepaw swallowed his fear and leaped towards it, claws unsheathed.

**Cliffhanger! Don't you just love them? XD **

**Anyway, I plan for this story to reach about 20 chapters total, so we're getting there. Thanks for reading, and please, I'd truly appreciate a review! **


	15. The Fox

Harepaw pushed off the hard ground, stirring up dust as he made a lunge for the snarling fox, but it was ready for him. The fox ducked and snapped open its gaping mouth, revealing wickedly sharp, gleaming teeth, and sunk them into Harepaw's fur as he passed above. It twisted to the side, bringing him down to the ground with a sickening thud.

Terrified now, Harepaw lay gasping as the fox reached down swiftly to tear through his flesh with its claws, but Harepaw rolled to the side just in time. He pushed himself to his paws, quaking in fear, but he forced himself to make another leap towards the fox. This time his claws found the fox's shoulders, and he hung on for dear life as it began to struggle. He managed to bite the back of its neck before he was thrown off violently.

Harepaw watched as the fox advanced towards him, knowing that he stood no chance. Even if he hadn't spent the night foolishly "training", and was well rested, there was still no way he could bring the fox down by himself. In that moment he decided to give up trying to fight against the snarling, spitting beast, and turned around, forcing himself to run as fast as he could.

Harepaw dashed out of the clearing and through the tall grass, the blades parting as he pounded past. He was well aware of the fox chasing him, its hot breath on his tail. Every time he heard its pads press against the ground directly behind him, the sound seemed to echo through his very being, sending cold chills down his spine. His breath came in ragged pants, and his muscles screamed in protest as he continued forward, desperately hoping that he was heading in the direction of the MeadowClan camp.

Suddenly a sharp, unbearable pain pierced through his hind leg as he felt teeth make contact. The fox had caught up to him. Harepaw shrieked in pain as his leg was jerked backward, still lodged in the fox's mouth, and he dropped down. He cowered on the ground, helpless, as the fox bit down harder, emitting a low growl from the back of its throat as it did so. Harepaw's eyes glazed with horror when he felt its teeth scrape the bone of his leg.

For some reason then, he then found his gaze drifting to the night sky stretched out before him, displaying an innumerable amount of twinkling stars. He had no idea why he would suddenly take interest in this as he suffered greatly beneath the vicious fox, but then the stars flashed white, and the voice he had heard just earlier came back to him. _You _cannot _alter your destiny. _It was true; he had been bitten in the leg by the fox in his dream, and now it was happening in real life, only much more brutal. But then the fox ended up disappearing in his dream, and that most certainly hadn't happened yet. Knowing that somehow the fox would be defeated, as every other event before that had come true, Harepaw closed his eyes, but the image of the bright stars remained in his mind.

"H-help," he gasped to no one in particular, and it was then that the fox released its deadly grip. Harepaw struggled free and managed cover a few tail-lengths of ground before he slammed headlong into something.

Now he was truly doomed. He looked up with eyes clouded with pure terror and exhaustion, expecting to see the fox gazing back, spitting madly and eyes flaring, but instead what he saw caused him to feel a lot lighter.

"Fishpaw!"

Harepaw's sister stood over his crumpled form, eyes glazed with shock and worry as she saw the condition he was in. The grass rustled behind her as Reefwind, Petalbreeze, and Shortwhisker stepped out. Their gazes soon mimicked Fishpaw's when they saw him. Harepaw couldn't have felt more relieved, but the danger was still evident. He tried to warn them of the fox, but his mouth wouldn't obey him.

"Harepaw, we heard you screaming. What are you-" Reefwind started to ask, but it was then that the fox burst from the grass behind the deputy with a roar of rage and raked its claws across his throat. Scarlet blood splattered the clearing as he dropped to the ground.

Harepaw trembled in fear and horror, paralyzed. Shortwhisker and Fishpaw seemed unable to move too, their eyes never leaving the fallen deputy. Petalbreeze, however, reacted instantly, screeching in fury as she charged towards the fox. She leaped into the air and landed directly on its back, clawing and biting anywhere she could reach. Soon Shortwhisker tore his gaze away from Reefwind and joined in, snapping at the fox's ankle, while Fishpaw boldly attempted to scratch its eyes.

The fox thrashed violently beneath Petalbreeze, and managed to catch her tail between its teeth. With a growl, it crunched down hard, but then Fishpaw's claws found their mark, scoring down one of the fox's eyes. Streams of blood and pus ran down its face, blinding the other eye too. The fox howled in pain, and sent Petalbreeze flying off its back with a swift kick. It then barreled through the grass, its tail tucked between its legs to show its surrender.

Petalbreeze landed on her paws, panting, and padded over to where Reefwind still lay. Shortwhisker and Fishpaw trod silently over and joined her. Petalbreeze pressed her ear to the deputy's chest for a few heartbeats, and then looked up at them, her eyes hollow with grief. She opened her mouth to say something, and then chocked on her breath, turning away.

The message couldn't have been clearer. MeadowClan had lost its deputy. Harepaw hung his head low in shame. It was all his fault. The fox had come seeking him; he should have dealt with it himself. How could he let his Clanmates get involved? Reefwind had been a wise and fair deputy. He would have made a great leader, but now that would never happen, all thanks to him.

"Let's go back to camp," Petalbreeze whispered, her voice barely audible. She grabbed Reefwind's scruff, and with the help of Shortwhisker, began to carry him in the direction of the camp. Fishpaw followed closely behind, her tail dragging along the ground, while Harepaw took up the rear, limping painfully on his injured leg.

By the time they reached the camp, the first few tendrils of dawn light had begun to slice through the ebony sky. Petalbreeze and Shortwhisker gently laid Reefwind in the middle of the camp, and then backed away. Soon the sun began to peek out from below the horizon, showering its glow over the camp. Reefwind's yellow tabby fur caught the light, and, if it weren't for the blood still caked around his throat, then it would appear as though he was sleeping soundly.

Gradually, cats began to slip out from their dens and gaze curiously at Reefwind, and Harepaw, Fishpaw, Petalbreeze, and Shortwhisker still standing behind him. Eventually Violetstar emerged from the leader's den and headed towards them, the sunlight glinting off her eyes.

She looked them over, her gaze hardening when she saw her deputy. "Harepaw, go to Fernleaf and get your wounds treated. The rest of you, come with me."

Harepaw obeyed, treading on heavy paws into the medicine cat den. He glanced over his shoulder to see Fishpaw, Petalbreeze, and Shortwhisker following Violetstar into her den. Most likely she wanted to know what was going on. There were gasps of horror sounding behind him as the cats of MeadowClan began to realize that Reefwind was dead. Guilt hung over Harepaw like a dark shadow, threatening to choke him.

When he limped through the dark entrance, he could hear the rustling of leaves as Fernleaf sorted through his cache. The tangy smell of fragrant herbs wafted over him. The last time he had been in the medicine cat den was when he had nearly drowned in the river. Why did he have to be back so soon?

"Fernleaf?" he called. The medicine cat emerged from the back of the den, shaking scraps of herbs off his pelt.

"What did you get yourself into this time?" Fernleaf asked as he surveyed his patient.

"A fox," Harepaw replied simply.

"I thought so. These scratches are pretty nasty." Fernleaf padded to the shadows of the den again, and then came back with a beech leaf curled up like a sac in his mouth. He dropped it to the ground next to Harepaw, where some cobwebs, leaves, and roots fell out.

Harepaw watched, fascinated by the medicine cat's expertise as he chewed the leaves to a pulp, and then rubbed it on his scratches, especially the leg wound.

"Marigold," Fernleaf explained as he finished. "That'll help prevent infection. Now I'll add some comfrey to that leg injury of yours to help repair the bone." He then chewed the roots into a poultice and applied it to Harepaw's leg. He could tell that the medicine cat was being as gentle as possible, but he couldn't help but flinch in pain.

Finally, Fernleaf wrapped the cobwebs over his wound, closing it up and preventing it from bleeding. "There, now all you need is some rest. I'm not sure how much more pressure that wound of yours can stand. Off you go."

Harepaw thanked him, and then stumbled out into the clearing. He headed over to the apprentices' den as he was told and settled down for some much needed sleep. It felt as though he was only resting for a heartbeat or two before a paw jabbed him in the side.

"Harepaw, Violetstar wants to see you." He looked up to see Fishpaw gazing at him, looking a bit anxious. She stepped aside as he got to his paws and limped out of the den. The sun was already shining directly over the camp like a bright beacon. Harepaw could see the light brown leader standing rigid just outside her den, watching him.

Nervousness and anxiety prickled around his paws. Questions swarmed like speedy bees through his mind. How should he explain what happened? Should he mention the dream? As he walked closer, unable to meet Violetstar's unfathomable stare, he pondered that last thought. If he did explain the dream, would she even believe him? Would it be better to just leave that part out? If he did in fact leave it out, then how would he clarify why he was alone in the clearing at night instead of safely tucked away in the apprentices' den as he should have been? Should he lie and say he felt like doing some late night hunting?

_She'd never believe that,_ he thought as he stepped timidly inside the den. Violetstar followed close behind, and soon Harepaw was once again inside the enormous tree, facing the MeadowClan leader. He shifted his paws nervously, still unable to sort through racing thoughts.

"As you know, I spoke with the others just now and they told me what they know about what happened last night," Violetstar began, her voice tone just as unfathomable as her masked expression. "Your sister said that she heard you screaming in the middle of the night, so she awoke Reefwind to share her concerns, who then called for Petalbreeze and Shortwhisker. They told me that they then found you a few paces from the training clearing, bloodied and bruised. Apparently a fox appeared and killed our deputy, but was soon overpowered and sent running off."

Harepaw heard the faintest shake in Violetstar's voice when she mentioned the death of Reefwind. Now he struggled with the conflicting emotions of nervousness, anxiety, and guilt. He swallowed the lump that was starting to rise in his throat.

"Now I'd like you to tell me what you were doing there, and how you came across the fox."

**I really should update more often. XD Well anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, even though it's a little on the short side.  
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	16. New Warriors

Harepaw gazed into his leader's eyes, hard as flint in the heat of the moment. In was then that he knew that there would be no point in lying. It didn't matter whether she believed him or not. He knew he could trust his new Clan, and that there would be no point in wrapping himself within a web of lies for hardly a reason at all. He decided to tell the truth, which included the dream.

"Well you see, a few nights ago I had this dream," Harepaw began, gathering his courage. He then proceeded to explain the whole dream, leaving no detail out. He had no idea what Violetstar might find important. "The next day, I had just chosen a thrush from the fresh-kill pile when Fernleaf and Ashenpaw discovered that death berries had been hidden there. Then the day after that, another part of the dream came true when I nearly drowned in the river east of here after being pushed in. And today I encountered the fox from my dream, and nearly died facing it." He paused a moment before continuing. "I didn't think there was anything I could do to avoid that fox. To be honest, I grew impatient last night, and went to the training hollow alone to try and prepare myself for that fox, but I was foolish. No cat can stand alone against a fox. I would have died for sure if the others hadn't shown up."

Violetstar nodded in agreement. "I understand now, Harepaw. That was some dream." A gleam in her eyes gave away her deep interest. "Would you care to tell me more about it?"

Harepaw tensed, unnerved by her interest, but he didn't have much of a choice. "During the majority of that dream," he added, "My mother, Snowstar, hovered over me like a dark shadow."

The MeadowClan leader spoke, confusion now clouding her eyes. "Snowstar is your mother?"

Harepaw nodded swiftly, realizing that he had never mentioned this to any member of his new Clan. "I'm sorry, I-" he started to apologize, but Violetstar cut him off with a wave of her tail.

"It's fine, there's no need to apologize. Continue as you were."

Harepaw fidgeted, uneasy with what he had to release next. "I-I think all those events in the dream were schemes of hers to try and kill me."

"I see," Violetstar murmured softly, almost to herself. "Your own mother." She needn't say more; Harepaw knew she was disgusted with his birth Clan's signature cruelty.

"But there's still another event that hasn't happened just yet," he explained. Harepaw hadn't even allowed himself to consider this yet, but he knew he had to face it sooner or later, despite his fears. "Fishpaw…she cries for help at the end, and I have no idea why."

A sudden spark of understanding flashed in the light brown cat's eyes. "Your dream…it sounds almost like a prophecy." She sat up just then and padded to the entrance of her den, and settled down, beckoning with a flick of her tail for Harepaw to join her.

Violetstar waited until Harepaw sat beside her, utterly confused at the change of position. "You've never been taught about StarClan, have you?"

Harepaw shook his head slowly, although he remembered the term being mentioned before in MeadowClan. His leader seemed to be expecting this response, as she then mewed, "Look up there." She raised her paw and pointed at the blue sky stretched out endlessly above them, not a cloud in sight.

"At night, there are glittering stars dotting these skies. We call this sight Silverpelt," Violetstar explained. "Every time a cat from this Clan dies, his or her spirit is sent up there to join the ranks of StarClan. The stars represent our warrior ancestors as they gaze down at us. Our ancestors thrive in StarClan, but they never forget us. They will always watch over us."

Harepaw was mystified. StarClan was never mentioned in CreviceClan; they only spoke of the Dark Forest, where cats are condemned for having failed their Clan in the mortal world. What a different world MeadowClan was. He liked the idea of a StarClan. He gazed at the clear sky, trying to imagine his ancestors floating up there, watching over him. Was Thornpaw up there, smiling down at him?

"I brought this up because, you see, StarClan sometimes choses to aid us in our troubles by sending prophecies to us in our dreams. The prophecies are never clear, and are often very difficult to interpret the meaning. However, StarClan rarely shares these prophecies with anyone other than the medicine cats, or sometimes the Clan leaders." Violetstar tore her gaze from sky and turned to Harepaw. Her eyes seemed to penetrate through his very being, as if searching for something. "Why would StarClan share this prophecy with _you?_"

Harepaw flinched at her intensity, drawing back. "I-I don't know," he stammered. Violetstar let out a sigh, looking away. When she looked back, the intensity was gone.

"As for the final event of your dream, I will try to keep an eye on Fishpaw just in case." She paused, a sweet smile growing on her face. "But she will be able to protect herself well enough because, after all, she and you will be warriors by the end of this day."

Harepaw's face lit up, his clouded thoughts momentarily drifting from his mind.

"You and Fishpaw showed remarkable courage against that fox, and therefore you two are ready for your warrior status," stated Violetstar. She stood up and began to pad out of the den and into the sun-lit clearing, calling over her shoulder, "I will hold the ceremony now."

Harepaw, feeling light as air, bounded across the camp after Violetstar as she headed for the Highbranch. He spotted Fishpaw sharing tongues with Rowanpaw by the fresh-kill pile as he passed her, but gave the sight no further consideration at that moment.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highbranch for a Clan meeting." Violetstar had leaped onto the Highbranch, casting her gaze upon the camp as cats began to emerge from their dens and around the camp to gather. Harepaw settled next to a gray blue tom cat and stared up at his leader, his fur prickling with anticipation.

"In a fight with a fox last night, our wise deputy, Reefwind, has been slain," Violetstar began, her voice trembling slightly. "Now it is time to appoint a new deputy for this Clan. I say these words before StarClan, so that the spirits of our warrior ancestors may hear and approve of my choice. The new deputy of MeadowClan is Petalbreeze." Harepaw, struck with shock, turned around to see Petalbreeze, who also seemed lost for words.

"T-thank you, Violetstar." She dipped her head to her leader. "I promise I will try my best to serve this Clan as their new deputy."

"Petalbreeze, Petalbreeze, Petalbreeze!" The crowd began to chant. Violetstar waited until they began to quiet down before continuing.

"Now it is time for one of the most important duties I have as leader of this Clan; the naming of warriors. Harepaw and Fishpaw, come forward."

Harepaw's paws tingled as he stepped closer to his leader, and his eyes shone. He couldn't believe that, already, he was about to become a true warrior of MeadowClan. He had come far since he had first walked into the camp, ready for the new life which he had now tasted, but unprepared for the ambush that had awaited him and his sisters. With a pang of agony, he suddenly wished for Thornpaw to be with them, to receive her warrior name with her siblings. _It's just not fair_, he though sadly to himself.

"I, Violetstar, leader of MeadowClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn." She turned to Harepaw and his sister. "Harepaw, Fishpaw, do you both promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do." Fishpaw's voice rang out clearly, and no cat could deny her honesty.

"I do," Harepaw promised after his sister, and although there was less clarity in his tone, his words meant just as much as Fishpaw's.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Harepaw and Fishpaw, from this moment you will be known as Hareleap and Fishsplash. StarClan honors your courage and loyalty, and we welcome you both as full warriors of MeadowClan."

"Hareleap, Fishsplash, Hareleap, Fishsplash!" Hareleap gazed at the cats of the Clan in which he had never felt more akin with. He found himself looking past them at the dark forest far beyond the MeadowClan boundaries. Within that forest, cats were tortured, and punished unfairly for crimes forced upon them. That life no longer controlled him. Now he was a warrior of MeadowClan, watched over by his ancestors in StarClan, and driven with loyalty and righteousness.

As Violetstar jumped gracefully off of the Highbranch, and the meeting began to break apart, Hareleap was suddenly reminded of the pain in his wounded hind leg. The injury that had likely been caused by his own mother. He flexed his claws in and out, grimacing in pain.

_ One day, _he thought to himself. _I will make her pay for her cruelty. And she'd better watch out, because she won't be facing a pitiful apprentice of CreviceClan, but a powerful warrior from MeadowClan. _

_"_You two will sit vigil this night," Violetstar interrupted his thoughts as she passed by. Hareleap, full of vigor now, headed towards the warriors' den to rest as Fernleaf had suggested to him earlier, and to prepare for the night's vigil. He lay down, tucking his injured leg to the side, and soon began to drift off into sleep.

**Hope you liked. c: Sorry that this chapter is so short; it has more dialogue than a good majority of the other chapters, so doesn't have as much actual content. Aaaanyway, review. I'm so convincing this time. XD **


	17. The Scream

The night was cold and crisp. A chill breeze ruffled Hareleap's fur as he stumbled out of the den, favoring one side, to join Fishsplash in their silent vigil. He sat down next to where she already lay, eyes open, but only slightly, her body still. The moonlight shined upon her frame, illuminating her fur and whiskers. She looked so peaceful, so content. He wished he could feel the same way.

Shifting slightly, Hareleap turned his gaze to the view in front of them. His back was to the camp, and his eyes rested upon the green hills of the meadow, stretching endlessly on, appearing to him like rippling waves of water. The moon hung high and proud, and the branches of the enormous tree above him swayed with the wind. He closed his eyes, trying to soak in the beauty of the moment, and to recover the surge of power he felt after the ceremony that day. But he felt only a sinking hopelessness. Being made a warrior didn't change the fact that the still form breathing quietly beside him, his beloved sister, was involved in the dream. The dream that had been haunting him for days, slowly enfolding. The dream that never lied.

It seemed that no matter what he did, he would hear that scream. The shrill scream of Fishsplash, in trouble but beyond his reach. And he could do nothing to stop it.

Hareleap shivered, but not because of the cold.

After that, he focused his gaze on the stars above. _Silverpelt,_ he remembered. All the stars blinked and shone out against the inky black sky, but there was one in particular that twinkled brighter than the rest. It seemed to be winking at him in a friendly way. For a moment, he was so relaxed by the sight of this beautiful star that all his troubles seemed to vanish. He smiled.

Slowly, slowly, the sun started to show its face over the horizon, sending rays of light that pierced him from his thoughts. He felt Fishsplash stirring next to him.

"You can get up now," sounded a voice behind him. Hareleap jumped slightly, and turned to see Petalbreeze standing over him. The weak morning rays now were reflected in her bright blue eyes. She smiled. He averted his gaze, feeling a rush come over him.

"Congratulations!" she continued, seeming not to notice. "How does it feel to be a warrior of MeadowClan?"

"Feels great!" Fishsplash meowed happily before he could respond, stretching grandly and shaking drops of dew off her gleaming whiskers. "How does it feel to be deputy?"

Petalbreeze laughed, her eyes twinkling. "Not bad! But it comes with responsibility of course. I'll be organizing the patrols soon, for instance." She gazed thoughtfully at them for a moment, then added, "In fact, why not you two lead your first patrols today? Hareleap, you can lead the border patrol this morning, and Fishsplash, you can lead the hunting patrol at noon. "

"Thanks!" Fishsplash grinned. "Sounds like fun."

Hareleap nodded, unsure.

"No problem." As Petalbreeze padded off, Hareleap turned to his sister. Finally, he had a chance to tell her again about his dream. He could at least prepare her, so she could be ready for when it will happen, and telling her could finally instill trust between them again. He had to seize the opportunity.

"Fishsplash, I need to tell you something."

She looked at him as if realizing suddenly that he was there. "Yes?" Hareleap swallowed nervously. _Now's your chance. _

He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut short as Rowanpaw suddenly appeared, shoving him as well as his opportunity thoughtlessly aside.

"Hiya, Fish!" he greeted, openly nuzzling her. She smiled and returned the gesture, but she looked slightly annoyed, her ears flat on her head as he drew it out longer than necessary. "So you're a warrior now, huh?"

"Yup!" she mewed, flicking him with her tail. She looked back at Hareleap, and her expression told him that she was still interested. She pushed his head off her. "I was kind of in the middle of something, you know."

Rowanpaw followed her gaze and frowned. "What, with that dork?" Hareleap looked away from him, his fur ruffled uncomfortably.

"Yes, I-" But Rowanpaw was guiding her away, wrapping his tail around hers. He started talking loudly about how he wished he were a warrior too, so they could be warriors together. Fishsplash turned her head back when she could, calling, "I'll talk to you later, okay?" Just before they were out of sight, Rowanpaw turned back too, but he said nothing. He only glared.

Hareleap stared after them, the words he intended to say still hovering at the tip of his tongue. He swallowed again, seeming to take the words with him. He turned away and went to find cats to go with him on the border patrol, repeating to himself, _I don't care, I don't care, I don't care. _But his claws scraped across the dirt, unsheathed.

…

He didn't like the idea of leading a border patrol, but he knew he had to. So he gathered up a few others, including Mistpaw, who volunteered with a simple, "I'll go", and started out the camp. The yellow sun beamed down on them, pulsing with life. Hareleap shouldered through the long, swaying blades of grass, allowing the others to spray, feeling odd and misplaced.

He couldn't recall the borders too well, but he did his best. Occasionally he would go entirely in the wrong direction and have to be corrected. The few times this happened he became unbearably uncomfortable and imagined that they were laughing at him. They were not, but he still heard the snickers as though they were real.

He kept on. The sun rose higher, burning his back. Just as he was turning back, hoping that it was the right direction, he reached higher ground. When he glanced behind him to check that the rest of his patrol was following him, he saw beyond them a dark and ominous stretch of woods in the distance. He stopped and stared, fidgeting without realizing it. CreviceClan. He had never seen it from afar before. It looked like an inky black stain in an otherwise perfect world. So far, and yet so close.

He blinked and looked away, remembering where he was. The others were staring.

"Sorry," he muttered, stumbling forward.

…

When they got back, Hareleap didn't know what to do. The sun was high in the sky, smoldering his fur and face. Fishsplash was likely out on her hunting patrol. He kept his head low and padded over to the fresh-kill pile. He didn't feel very hungry, but he forced down a tiny mouse anyway.

He hung around the camp, laying down in the heat, tail flicking with impatience. His thoughts were torturing him. He thought of Rowanpaw, and how he treated his sister, but he was mostly plagued by his dream. He thought of the thrush with the deathberries in it, the river that he was pushed into, and the fox that nearly killed him. His leg suddenly throbbed as if remembering. He thought of his mother, and her cruel, sly grin. The things she did to him.

Then he thought back to the hope that he had felt as he approached the camp for the first time. He had been brimming over with that hope; hope that he would find a new, easy life there, free of his past. He saw the black stain again in his mind. _Well,_ he thought. _I was wrong. _

It seemed he would never escape her.

Eventually, Fishsplash returned, but, as always, Rowanpaw was at her side. They were chatting and laughing, their tails twined once more. There was nothing wrong with the scene, but Hareleap found himself watching them with hostile eyes. He blinked and turned away.

Soon Petalbreeze found him again and sent him out to hunt. By then the sun had started to slip back below the horizon, bringing the light and heat with it. He slipped through the grass, their shadows throwing stripes on his pelt. He tried to keep his senses sharp and alert, but once more, he found immersed deep in his thoughts. This time he thought only of Rowanpaw and Fishsplash.

He nearly jumped when he heard the tiny patter of mouse paws, and he was glad he didn't. He crept up on the mouse slowly, tracking its movement and hearing the pulsing of its heartbeat. He pressed lower to the ground, raised his haunches, and pounced. His claws found their mark, and soon the mouse lay dead at his paws. This was the part where he buried it and went to find more food for his Clan.

But he found that he couldn't stop there. A sensation was bubbling up inside him, a sensation that had been growing the whole day. He felt…_angry._ Angry at the unfairness of it all. Soon his sister would get into some kind of trouble, maybe _die_, and he knew it would happen, but he couldn't stop it. And on top if it all, she was hanging out with a boorish _mousebrain_. His whole life was crumbling apart, and she didn't give a flying feather. He screamed with frustration. Blood was splattering everywhere, and he looked down suddenly to see that he had savagely torn the poor mouse apart. His pupils dilated; he took a step back. He raised a paw and stared at the red blood dripping off of it, gleaming in the moonlight, horrified.

_What is wrong with me? _

…

He was done with hunting. Hareleap washed off in the river, still in shock, and hurried back to camp. He slipped into his den, hoping Petalbreeze wouldn't notice that he had brought nothing back. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep, but he could still smell the blood. After what felt like a lifetime, he finally drifted off into a light, fitful sleep.

He was awakened by a rustle. Blinking heavy eyelids, he turned his head in the direction of the noise, and saw two figures dashing across the camp, enveloped by the shadows. He squinted, trying to make them out, but they were gone before he could tell. He was just falling back to sleep when he realized that Fishsplash's bed was empty. As was Rowanpaw's.

The pieces fell together instantly. All thought of sleep was vanished from his mind as he crawled out of his bed and rushed across the camp, trying to be quiet but also trying to catch her before anything happened. Before she got into trouble.

He found them just outside the camp. Rowanpaw was pulling her along, talking eagerly while she nodded along, looking tired but wide-eyed with curiosity.

He burst from the grass and stood, panting. They both looked up, startled.

"Stop!" he cried, coming closer. "Fishsplash, I need to talk to you right now. You could be in danger."

Fishsplash's face slowly went from shock to something a little harsher. "I said _later_. Does this look like a good time?"

Hareleap was taken by her hostility, but he kept trying. "Listen, I-"

"Hey," Rowanpaw interrupted rudely, his eyes narrowed. "Did you hear what she said? We're a little busy. You can tell her about your shy little pansy life later."

Hareleap flinched. "What are you doing anyway?" he asked, suddenly curious. What _were_ they doing outside of camp in the middle of the night?

"I was going to take her to see Fourtrees at night," Rowanpaw explained, grinning. "It's quite the sight under the moon, you know."

Hareleap blinked. He turned to his sister. "Fishsplash, why-"

"Because I love him," she responded, standing higher. She linked her tail with his and leaned against him.

Hareleap was stunned; he hadn't known they had gone that far. He shook his head, trying to focus. It didn't matter. He had come here to save her; he couldn't let them go off alone.

"I'm serious! You're in danger, Fishsplash!" he looked frantically at her, trying to get her to understand. "I'm been trying to tell you this. You see, I had this dream-"

"What, so now you're crazy?" Rowanpaw interjected again, rolling his eyes. He nudged Fishsplash. "Come on; let's get away from this freak."

Fishsplash held her ground for a moment, gazing back at him and reading his concern. "I'm sorry; I told you already; I'll talk to you later." She let him drag her off once more, for the second time that day.

But he couldn't let them leave. "No!" he shrieked, running after them. "You'll die!" But they were already gone. He sank to the ground in defeat.

"You'll die," he said to the ground.

…

He stumbled back to camp and fell back into his moss bed. He lay still, replaying the encounter over and over in his mind. He saw her face, her concern, her love, her irritation. And he saw Rowanpaw. He felt the rush of heat again, but this time it was soon conquered by a choking wave of regret. He kept telling himself that it wasn't too late; he could still go and drag them back to safety. But he never moved.

And it wasn't long before he heard it.

The scream.

**Yeah, I'm back! I've got the rest of the story planned out in detail and I intend to finish it at long last. ;D **


	18. Fishsplash

As Fishsplash let Rowanpaw hook his paw with hers and drag her into the tall, winding blades of grass, she looked back, her ears standing straight upon her head, her eyes full of concern. She watched Hareleap try to chase after them, screaming things she couldn't hear, his frantic voice fading into the distance.

She'd been worried about him those past few days. He hadn't been looking well, and he'd been finding all sorts of trouble to fall into lately. She turned her face up and smiled at Rowanpaw, allowing him to continue to lead her as she knew he enjoyed it. He smirked playfully at her.

She honestly didn't understand what her brother was so worked up about. Sure, there had been a few mysterious incidents, including that strange, savage fox that had harmed him so (which deeply concerned her), but otherwise, life in MeadowClan had been one beautiful moment after another for her. She had found someone to love, something she'd never had a chance to even imagine finding before, and she now lived in a huge, gorgeous meadow full of friendly faces. Her past life was a scar on her pelt. And it was healing.

But she knew it couldn't last forever. She'd seen it from a distance a number of times; CreviceClan was still out there. Snowstar was still out there. But she was a warrior of MeadowClan now. If, no, when, she faced that ugly brute of a mother again, she would be a sight to see. And feel.

She grinned, flexing her claws.

But, whatever he wanted to say, it must be important. She had known him all her life, after all. She knew he wouldn't bother her unless it was entirely necessary. So the question remained: why then did he want to speak with her?

Rowanpaw finally let go, remarking, "You're really heavy." He shrugged her off, letting her fall into the grass with a thump. Fishsplash rose and tackled him to the ground, laughing as she did so. Green leaves that had been disturbed flew into the air, spiraling and landing elsewhere. One landed on her ear. She flicked it off, smiling happily.

"How about I crush you with this weight then?" She pressed him to the ground, batting at his ears playfully. Rowanpaw looked up at her, acted all scared, and then leaped upwards, throwing her off him yet again. This time she lay where she fell, curling into a ball and let loose false moans and wails before going silent.

Rowanpaw walked up to her and prodded her with one paw. She snickered inwardly, but remained quiet.

"Oops, did I kill you?" he joked, leaning in so he breathed into her face. The hot breathe caused her whiskers to twitch. Fishsplash flashed open one eye, jumping up and shrieking and laughing as Rowanpaw stumbled back, startled.

They sat on their rumps and giggled together before Rowanpaw finally grew serious. He looked at her.

"So, what was up with your brother back there? He was acting like a rapid mouse." Instantly Fishsplash grew quiet and stared back at him. She drew her ears back, slightly, to show her annoyance at him insulting her brother as he usually did (that was the thing; she hated how Rowanpaw treated him), but then she turned her gaze to the ground.

"I don't know," she murmured, suddenly feeling guilty as she saw his panicked face again, heard him calling after them. She should have heard him out. "I really don't know."

They were just getting up to continue onwards to Fourtrees, when it happened. One second, she was standing next to her lover, and then all of a sudden, a pair of paws flashed out of the grass behind her and pulled her away from him. She saw a gleam of hateful yellow eyes, a patch of tabby fur, and a blur of a paw again as it smacked her hard in the head, knocking her off balance. As she tumbled and fell to the ground, her blood ran cold when she saw the sight that lay before her eyes.

Rowanpaw was grappling with a supple light brown she-cat, covered in scars and dust and possessing a scared, but determined look in her pale green eyes. She was only too recognizable.

Violetstar.

Fishsplash gasped, stunned. She tried to move, but lacked the strength to do so. What was going on? She flinched when she saw Violetstar, her new, loving leader who had promised so much for her and her brother, deal a powerful blow across Rowanpaw's jaw that caused a loud cracking noise. Rowanpaw dropped to the ground, squirming with pain, his jaw pushed horrifically to the side. He coughed blood, staining the dirt.

But then, as he was rising to try and fight more, doing so with a courage that she greatly admired, Violetstar suddenly stepped back. She looked up defiantly at the cat that Fishsplash knew was standing behind her.

"I think that's enough. They're obviously beaten, and can be taken back now." Both Fishsplash and Rowanpaw blinked in confusion. Again. What?

She felt a presence behind her, heard the crunching of grass as a figure moved around her and approached Violetstar with slow, but steady steps. The paws that passed her vision were perhaps once yellow, but now turned brown with dust, and huge. She pressed her own paw to the ground and leaned on it, looking up. An enormously large yellow tabby with half a tail and glaring, threatening amber eyes was padding away from her. He was covered in hideous scars that showed a long life of suffering. But now, he did not appear to be someone who could be messed with.

Another familiar figure. Serpentfang. After he had killed his previous apprentice, Dirtbreath, Snowstar had given her the privilege of having him as her master. Her body contorted into tight knots in remembrance of her time with him.

Now he stepped in front of Violetstar, who was breathing heavily and looking quite nervous. He paused just a tail length away, claws unsheathed and gleaming.

"Violetstar," he breathed, smiling disturbingly. "Don't you think we should have some more fun here?" He glanced back at Rowanpaw, who was standing now and holding his bleeding jaw with one paw.

Violetstar stood her ground, but Fishsplash couldn't help but notice how small she appeared in comparison. "No," she said firmly. "It's fine." Then her tone began to waver as she continued. "I-I think they've had enough."

Serpentfang said nothing, but his expression was dark. He started back towards Rowanpaw and grabbed him by the tail. Rowanpaw shrieked, panicked.

"Please!" Violetstar pleaded, reaching out, looking terrified. "Don't hurt them." She started to cry, shaking.

Fishsplash had no idea what was going on, still, but she was beginning to realize that something clearly wasn't right here. Violetstar; was she being forced against her will to do this? But it didn't matter. Serpentfang was an enemy, definitely, and she had laid low for long enough. Time for some action. Having recovered from the blow to her head, Fishsplash poised for a pounce, and sprang from her place in the grass, soaring onto her old master's back. She dug her claws in and received a loud, thunderous roar of pain.

But the fight was so quick, so short. In the blink of an eye, she was helpless again; Serpentfang rolled across the ground, shaking her off, and whipped around, striking like lightning at her shoulder. A score of red marks appeared, and Fishsplash let out a shrill shriek of pain that echoed throughout the area. The pain was fire, searing and choking. Serpentfang then slammed her head again with a sheathed paw. She wobbled, seeing stars, and fell onto her face, bleeding out on the ground.

Just before she blacked out, she heard more cries of pain from both Violetstar and Rowanpaw alike. She made an effort to get up, her heart roaring in anger at their agony, but quickly gave out as the pain was just too much. Then she was out, defeated.

Serpentfang, grinning like a maniac, gripped her scruff with red teeth and dragged her away, leaving a trail of blood.

…

The scream was sharp and piercing. It sent birds cawing and flying away, and it reached the ears of the cats back at MeadowClan, one in particular.

It felt as though he had been struck by lightning.

It didn't matter that he had been expecting it. When he heard her shriek, Hareleap jolted back from his thoughts, his tortuous thoughts of how he could have saved her, he really could have saved her, into a world where his sister was now in trouble. He cried out in frustration.

_It's all your fault, it's all your fault. _

The other warriors in the den jerked awake, yawning and blinking. Petalbreeze's head rose up, her ears perked. Hareleap sat up and stared at them with wide eyes. Maybe it wasn't too late. His dream had ended; he didn't know what happened now.

He had to start going on his own, with no assistance. He had to save his sister.

With this thought burned firmly in his mind, he stood and words started tumbling out. "Fishsplash," he said first, embarrassed to be speaking to the other warriors, so he turned to look at Petalbreeze. Her eyes gave him the confidence he need to do this. He straightened his posture.

"She's in danger. That was her shriek and she needs help." Curious and suspicious pairs of eyes surrounded him, but the eyes he was gazing into were understanding.

Petalbreeze rose too and looked back at him, carefully. "I don't know how you know this, or what is going on," she started, and Hareleap began to feel discouraged before she added, "But I believe you." His heart rose.

"Right. Well let's go save her then, shall we?" Petalbreeze turned back to the warriors behind her. She was a tall and determined figure. Deputy of her Clan.

"Nightpatch, go and tell Violetstar. She needs to be informed if she isn't already aware. Tallweed and Tumblefur, tell the rest of the Clan and begin forming a rescue party."

As the named warriors rushed out of the den to do as they were instructed, Petalbreeze leaned down and looked Hareleap in the eyes again.

"Hareleap, do you know where your sister is and why this happened?" she questioned. He met her gaze and responded clearly.

"I last saw her just outside the entrance of the camp, but…" His voice faltered. Did he really know _why_ she had been taken? "I don't know why."

She nodded, taking in a deep, thoughtful breath and pulling back. She started to leave when something occurred to him.

"Wait!" he called. He stepped towards her. She looked back. "I think I know what happened to her though."

"Yes?" Petalbreeze's ears turned forward in curiosity.

Hareleap was still for a moment, and then he said, "I think she's being taken back to CreviceClan."


	19. Discovery

Violetstar was nowhere to be found. Nightpatch came dashing out of her empty den to deliver the news to Petalbreeze, who was now standing in the middle of the camp looking worried. Hareleap stood beside her, shifting nervously and wishing to leave as soon as possible.

The news was troubling. Where was she? This question was bothering the mind of every cat as they raced to form a suitable rescue party. Going to CreviceClan was a huge deal; it was a day and a half of journeying, and all members of MeadowClan feared the place, especially after the recent invasion. The warriors were quarreling amongst themselves, deciding who was brave enough to go, and whether they should bring any apprentices or not.

Eventually, it was decided. Half the Clan would go, and the other half would stay to guard the camp. Hareleap distinguished that the reasoning behind this was that this attack was likely anticipated by their enemy, so a surprise attack on the camp was quite possible. All apprentices would stay behind for their safety. A large group of grimly determined warriors now stood ready to go. Hareleap was deeply honored; he knew it was hard for them, and that he was very lucky that they were willing to go at all. They were chasing a guess, after all.

But as he watched the volunteers, he realized that there was a deeper reasoning; they weren't just going in hopes of saving his sister. MeadowClan and CreviceClan seemed to have roots that stretched back to their creations, roots of history that were constantly intertwining in conflict. The two Clans were at odds with each other. Both wanted the other gone. And this was a good opportunity for MeadowClan to vanish the vile CreviceClan once and for all. The warriors would fight for their Clan, not Fishsplash.

And yet…only half the Clan was going. Would that be enough to face what could be the entire force of CreviceClan? Would Fishsplash even be there at all?

Was she even still alive?

Hareleap pushed that last thought aside and stood straighter as if to hide it. They were just preparing to leave when Fernleaf and his apprentice came dashing out of the medicine cat den with bundles of herbs hanging from their jaws. Fernleaf halted beside the group and dropped supplies.

"Wait, before you leave. Eat these; they're traveling herbs. You'll make better distance without the pangs of hunger."

Hareleap was grateful. As the group swallowed the herbs, he dipped his head in thanks to Fernleaf. He nodded in return and returned to his den, his apprentice looking back at them with fretful eyes. The herbs had likely bought them much needed time.

At last, Petalbreeze took her place at the front of the group and announced it was time to leave, despite Violetstar's unexpected absence. She was nowhere to be found. Hareleap caught murmurings and uneasy glances as the Clan pondered where she was, but there was nothing to be done; they had to rely on Petalbreeze instead as their leader. He observed with admiration how well she fit this role and how quickly and efficiently she had gathered everyone up. She would make a great leader in her day.

So it was that half of MeadowClan slipped out of the camp like shadows and the other half stayed behind, as planned, their eyes following them. Hareleap found himself looking for Mistpaw, curious, but she was nowhere to be seen.

The plan was to first scout around the entrance of the camp, where Hareleap said he had last seen her, in the unlikely case she was still there. And if she wasn't there, then they would begin the journey to CreviceClan.

They started forward with quick leaps through the grass, winding expertly and making good time as they fanned out from the entrance. Hareleap decided to simply follow behind Petalbreeze, using her waving tail as a beacon. He pressed forward silently, looking carefully for any signs of her, and tried not to think too much of what lay ahead. He didn't think about how his mother would be there, waiting in CreviceClan, grinning with malice at how well her plan worked out. He didn't think about Pantherclaw either, and how Snowstar had promised she wanted a "word" with him after being defeated so shamefully in the training hollow, or about how Fishsplash was likely being dragged back to CreviceClan, captured and alone with its nasty inhabitants. Where they could do whatever they pleased with her.

He didn't think about it. He just kept his eyes on the view around him, looking but certainly not wandering.

Suddenly Petalbreeze tensed, her fur spiked, and halted in her tracks. Hareleap wasn't paying attention and nearly stumbled into her, but he managed to snap to attention at the last moment. He found that he almost didn't want to know what had stopped her. What if it was Fishsplash….beyond rescue? He looked down at his paws, terrified. He was a coward.

But Petalbreeze had burst forward, crying out in shock and horror. Hareleap's head rose without command, and then he was gazing upon a terribly bloody scene before him. Two bodies lay unmoving, one russet-furred and the other light brown, both visibly mangled. He froze, his heart hammering in his chest, threatening to spill over. That small shred of hope he had been clinging to lay hanging in delicate balance; would it be cut apart?

Was she…? Dead?

But as he stumbled forward, clumsily and awkwardly, he found that he did not recognize either cat to be her. He let out a breath he had not realized he had been holding in. But the crisis was not over; he knew now who these two forms were. And from the puzzled look on Petalbreeze's ashen face told him that she knew too.

The first one, the russet one, was Rowanpaw. His jaw was in a nasty, crooked state, and he was covered in many gashes, some worse than others, and Hareleap felt a twinge of guilt as he thought of all the crooked thoughts he had had about him. He had gone down fighting.

But the other was none other than Violetstar, the leader that her Clan had been missing! Her eyes were glazed over and her head lay in a pool of blood, but her coat color and shape were unmistakable. Her wounds were even worse than Rowanpaw's, and showed a longer history of abuse. She was coated with terrible and painful wounds as well as scars, and Hareleap realized suddenly that he had seen her looking worse for wear in all his time here; he just hadn't registered it. But the most prominent question was: what had happened to her and Rowanpaw?

He heard cries behind him and saw the rest of the group rushing towards them, all of them equally shocked.

"What happened?!" Mossriver cried, unable to turn her horrified gaze away from the sight.

"Is that Rowanpaw and…Violetstar?" Nightpatch asked as he knelt beside the two bodies.

Petalbreeze looked up, her eyes wet and glittering, and seemed about to give a response when all of a sudden Rowanpaw stirred and moaned in obvious pain. Blood dripped from his crippled mouth as he turned his head towards them, blinking slowly and trembling.

Petalbreeze gave a cry of relief at this sign of life and whipped around to face Mossriver. "Go back to camp immediately and send for Fernleaf," she demanded. "Tell him we have found survivors."

She then crouched in front of Rowanpaw and gazed into his shivering eyes. "Tell me…" she whispered gently. "What happened here?"

The rest of the group gathered around her as Rowanpaw seemed to slowly process her request. Then to everyone's horror, he visibly cringed as the memories came flooding over him, drawing back and spilling more blood. Hareleap, only too familiar to the intense pain he must have been experiencing, started forward to try and ease his suffering, but Petalbreeze stopped him. "Let him be."

She gave Rowanpaw that deep look again, speaking carefully.

"Please," she said. "I need you to tell me."

Rowanpaw was still for a moment, transfixed by her gaze, and then he seemed to recover himself. Agonizingly, he made an attempt to speak, but his jaw got in his way and he ended coughing up blood onto the ground. He swallowed, painfully, and then finally managed to say, in between raking breaths of air, "Crev…Clan…attacked…us."

"Who were you with?" Petalbreeze inquired, holding his gaze.

"Fish," was all he managed to get out before he started coughing again, worse than before. Hareleap was standing off to the side, but he had heard the response. I already knew she had been with him, he thought grimly, but his assumption must have been true. Fishsplash was on her way to CreviceClan.

By then Mossriver had returned with an anxious Fernleaf, his little apprentice hovering at his side. She instantly got to work on Rowanpaw, who had crumpled back to the ground. His apprentice looked scared, but she put on a brave face and padded over to Violetstar to treat her.

As soon as she started working, though, Violetstar let out a sudden, shaking breath and came to life. She looked at the small apprentice with wide eyes, panting and bleeding. The young cat gave a start and tumbled backwards, caught off guard.

"Violetstar!" Petalbreeze had witnessed the scene and was pounding over to her battered leader. "We were so worried about you."

Despite her grave injuries, Violetstar recovered faster than Rowanpaw. She flicked her tail, sending specks of scarlet flying, and gazed at the medicine cat apprentice who still hadn't moved, clearly indicating that she was ready for treatment. The young cat stood up, ducking her head apologetically, and began stretching cobwebs over her leader's wounds.

Hareleap watched on the side, waiting anxiously for the explanation he knew would come soon. He glanced back at Rowanpaw, who was murmuring in relief as Fernleaf worked his magic. He still felt that guilt hovering over him; he knew it wouldn't go away until he apologized, but now was not the time. He returned his attention to Violetstar as she managed a sitting position with only a grunt of pain and looked at them all with an alert gaze. Then, strangely, she sighed and lowered her head as though in great shame. The first words she spoke surprised them all.

"My Clan… I have betrayed you all."


	20. Violetstar's Story

_"My Clan… I have betrayed you all."_

The apprentice tending to her nearly fell over again. There was a chorus of gasps, but no one said anything, although it was clear what they were thinking. She was terribly wounded and likely light-headed. Perhaps something had jumbled in her brain. She couldn't mean what she was saying!

But Violetstar didn't stop there. "You see, there is something I should have told you all long ago, but I was always afraid to do so. Snowstar and I…we are sisters."

Another shock, this one harder still. Hareleap's eyes were as wide as moons as he took this in. _Sisters? With my…mother?_

By then Fernleaf had finished with Rowanpaw, who appeared to be sleeping but may also have been listening. The medicine cat now stepped towards his leader, his fur tensed and his eyes uncertain. "Violetstar…what do you mean?" he dared to ask. "Why have you not told us this?

Violetstar flinched and looked down again. "I am sorry," she whispered. "I was scared…scared that my Clan wouldn't trust me if they knew I was directly related to that…_beast_." She flexed her claws and stood up suddenly, cringing again as she did so from a wild burst of pain. She caught her breath and looked back up.

"Please…let me explain." Her pleading tone caused the group to put on a false sense of calm, although anxiety was still humming in the air. Violetstar sat back down. She shut her eyes and seemed to drift back to a time long ago as she moved to speak again.

"As you are all aware, I was born in MeadowClan . But what most of you likely do not remember, however, is that I was not an only child. My mother gave birth to a second kit, a beautiful, snowy white kit with a coat that gleamed. She was named Snowkit.

Despite her appearance, however, Snowkit was a little devil. She kicked and thrashed constantly when she was in our mother's belly, and when she tumbled out at last, the first thing she did was bite the medicine cat who had licked her clean. She may not have grown any teeth yet, but it still stung.

She was always doing that. Biting, and scratching, too. She would approach an innocent victim, act all sweet, and then when they leaned close, deal whatever damage she pleased. She was awful.

But in that first month of our lives, we were a team. I followed her because I admired her. I would gaze at her miraculous white fur and think she was beautiful. I watched and helped her with her little impish acts and thought her clever and wise. She was my life, my soul mate. I never did anything without her.

But when we were two moons old, I started noticing that she never thought the same about me. I would eagerly complement her beauty, and she would grin and strut about, and talk about how right I was, but she never return the compliment. I would help her in one of her many schemes, and she would brag about how great she performed. But she never mentioned me.

She cared only for herself, and demanded constant adoration from everyone around her. But as she grew, she started to yearn for more than just attention.

One night I caught her at the edge of camp, staring intensely at the view of the territory before her. I sat next to her and listened to her explain about this Clan she had heard of, and how great it sounded. Her eyes were gleaming as she spoke, full of greed and lust for power. And when I followed her eager gaze to a dark forest in the distance, I saw only that. A black and distant forest, a stain in the meadow that was our home. That was all I saw.

But Snowkit saw something else entirely.

I quickly forgot about that time, although I did notice that my sister was often missing in the following nights. Everything changed, though, one day.

We were three moons old now. She had been incredibly erotic and fiery recently, and our close bond was being tested constantly. That day, on a whim, she turned to me and demanded that I help her steal herbs from the medicine cat. We were always playing nasty games like these, stealing and hiding in the forest and attacking chosen targets. I wasn't feeling up to playing along with her that day though; I knew that it was bound to end badly, but she wouldn't let me refuse. So I had no choice but to follow her at night into the den. We crept to the back and began tearing at the herbs, eating some, shredding others, and throwing them at each other. We were just sneaking back out with cobwebs all over our ears and shreds of leaves buried in our fur and berries in our mouths, when the medicine cat woke.

Suddenly I was being shoved forward by Snowkit, and I heard a single phrase whispered fiercely in my ear: "I hate you." Then she was out the door in a flash of white. When the medicine cat laid eyes on me and my state, I was blamed, of course. I was punished to a moon of taking care of the elders. But I didn't care; I cared only about the fact that Snowkit had vanished, mysteriously. And about the last thing she said to me.

I have no idea what came over her, and why she chose then to leave. But I knew instantly that she had gone to CreviceClan. She had grown bored of MeadowClan long ago. CreviceClan was a mysterious place that spoke of power and belonging to her. In her mind, I imagined that she thought they wouldn't treat her like the little kit she was there.

I'm still surprised today that she even made it there alive. And that they brought her in at all, although I am sure their greeting was anything but pleasant. Most likely it was hard for her to achieve such status there. _Very_ hard. But she did, somehow, and you are all only too aware of that."

Violetstar took a moment to look at her audience, breathing heavily from the effort of her words. Everyone was listening attentively, hanging onto her every word. Hareleap found that he had been staring intensely as though in a trance.

"And after her final words to me, I grew to despise her as well. I didn't want anything to do with her; I wanted to vanquish her and her Clan and prove to her my worth." Violetstar sighed deeply. "I still do."

"Eventually I became leader and so did she, and with two dueling siblings leading the two conflicted Clans, the tension between the us was especially high-strung.

Then came that fateful day…it was raining and MeadowClan was holed up in its dens. It was the perfect time for CreviceClan to strike, and strike they did, soundlessly and effortlessly. We were unprepared. They slipped into the dens like liquid shadows and picked us off one by one. And in that dark, hopeless night, Snowstar …she came to me.

She wasn't the pretty little imp of a sister that I remembered from my childhood. Gone was the powerful longing in her eyes to belong; instead, I saw nothing but the flames of hate. She may have said that she hated me before, but…she didn't then. She was just a kit, she didn't know what she was saying. She didn't know. Whatever innocence she may have once had within her was shattered in CreviceClan. They had crafted her into something unrecognizable. She was…a _monster_.

In my den that night, she beat me. Terribly. She slashed at me from all sides, tearing, tearing, until I was a bloody mess on the floor, crying and pitiful. And then she leaned in all close with a red stained smile and told me about this son of hers who had apparently escaped from her Clan. She seemed to leave out a lot of information, but she made it very clear what she wanted me to do. He would come to my Clan, she told me with absolute confidence. I was to accept him and then create three different plots of murder, all of which she demanded had to appear as if they were from natural causes. She would post several guards to make sure I followed her commands. She said they had plenty of "ideas" should I need any help. I was not to tell anyone.

It made no sense to me at all. Her plan was nothing but madness. Why did she want to kill this son of hers? And why have me devise elusive plots to do so? She had gone insane. I managed to lift my head and I looked at her and saw a maniac.

But I had no choice in the matter. I was an inch away from death and my Clan was hers to do with as she pleased. So I agreed and I did as she demanded.

I housed my heart somewhere far away and set misfortune on a poor cat's life. And somehow he managed to survive every time. Then suddenly the CreviceClan guards were telling me that I had to do one final act: kidnap his sister so they could take her away. I blindly confronted her with one of the guards but something in me finally cracked. I rebelled, but it was to no use. I have done terrible, unforgivable things and I couldn't redeem myself."  
>Violetstar was shaking from frailty. "I'm sorry. Now go and save her." She wavered and fell to the earth.<p>

"Violetstar!" Fernleaf leaped forward instinctively and held his leader's head up, but she had lost consciousness again.

The ground beneath Hareleap's paws was shaking. His heart thumped against his ribcage and he shivered all over. Slowly, gradually, all the recent weights, all the questions and demands and pain that had been cutting deep into him released their grip, and he gasped as if drawing air for the first time in forever. Suddenly he knew why he had been put through so much upon arriving in MeadowClan. He did not blame Violetstar. He gazed at her battered, still frame and tightly shut eyes and felt only sorrow. And, too, he felt a deep-rooted guilt, a thorn in his side that hinted to him darkly that it was all his fault she had suffered the way she did. But he cast it aside and all the other haunting specters of thoughts still creeping in his mind, and focused on only one thing: saving Fishsplash.

Fernleaf and his apprentice managed to lift Violetstar and Rowanpaw, both unmoving but showing signs of life, and carried them back to camp. Petalbreeze watched them go, and then turned to her group of warriors, all silent and grim as Violetstar's words echoed in their heads.

"Well, come on! Let's get going. We have some rescuing to do." She strode forward into the direction of CreviceClan, and everyone else had no choice but to follow.

As he walked, Hareleap knew in his heart that although Violetstar had indeed committed many crimes, she did in fact redeem herself by admitting to the truth, and her Clan recognized this and could never lose faith in their honorable leader.


	21. On the Attack

The moon was high in the inky night sky by the time Petalbreeze allowed for them to rest. After they had left Violetstar, the party's spirits were troubled as they slowly digested their leader's words and the fate that lay before them in the depths of CreviceClan territory. Petalbreeze was determined to make it there as fast as possible, allowing for few rest stops and focusing only on pounding the earth beneath her paws as she ran.

So when they at last reached a reasonable distance somewhat between the two Clans and waited for Petalbreeze to survey the area with careful expertise and then give the okay, Hareleap wasted no time before collapsing in the grass gratefully. All around him the other MeadowClan warriors were doing the same. For a few moments he listened to some of them talking with each other, mostly discussing about what was to come, but soon he tuned them out and shifted to look the other way.

Crickets were chirping merrily and the cool grass encircling him swayed slightly with a gentle breeze. They were still in MeadowClan territory, but the dark forests and rocky cliffs of CreviceClan loomed frighteningly near. Hareleap gazed quietly at the night sky spread out like a map before him. A single fluffy cloud drifted lazily towards the moon, passing just under its shimmering light.

It was so peaceful. Surrounded by such a beautiful scene it would be easy to forget why he was here, and the horrors that he had lived through. But his mind was anything but calm. There was so much to fret over, so much to look back on and cringe. All day he had been trying to control his emotions, but they kept spilling over like a swollen river that was about to burst.

Remembering the last time he had gazed at the sky, Hareleap looked up and tried to find the friendly, twinkling star he had noticed last time. He was unable to find it again, but he got the feeling that it was still there somewhere, watching over him.

_Was that you, Thornpaw?_ He pondered. Suddenly he was taken aback by a strong feeling of remorse. He hadn't allowed himself to think of his other sister in a while. Quivering with emotion, he stretched out a single paw as if trying to touch the band of stars before him. He missed her terribly. Despite being so innocent and shy, she had been abused constantly in her life. The only smiles or encouragements she ever received were from Fishsplash and him. He thought of his fellow MeadowClan Clanmates, and wished she could have experienced their kindness and mercy. But briefly she had known Petalbreeze, and she had seen the meadow he lay in now. At least she had known these few shreds of the better life that lay outside of CreviceClan.

Dropping his paw, Hareleap realized he was lonely. For most of his life he had lived alongside his two sisters. They were a happy, trusting family, and did their best back in CreviceClan to protect each other from the constant horrors of everyday life. Losing Thornpaw had been difficult enough. But now Fishsplash was gone too, and the ache inside of him to see them both again was a painful burden that weighed on him heavily. He could only hope that he hadn't lost Fishplash forever. There was still a chance…

"Hey." A pair of silver paws suddenly appeared in his field of vision, and he looked up to see Petalbreeze gazing somberly down at him. She wore a small smile, but her eyes were troubled as she silently filled the space beside him. "How are you holding up?"

Hareleap fidgeted, unsure how to respond. "I don't know."

Petalbreeze was gazing steadily at him, making him uncomfortable. "Your sister is a great cat," she meowed suddenly, skipping the vague questions and going straight for the heart. "I'm going to get her back for you, okay?"

A small shiver of warmth spread through him as he received her words. He managed to meet her gaze. "Thank you."

They grew quiet, letting the crickets do the talking for them. But Hareleap didn't mind; their small exchange was all that he needed. Just having her next to him and knowing that she was determined to help was enough. Her confidence leaked into him like medicine, reassuring him. They would save her; they had to. With Petalbreeze at his side, he felt that nothing could stop them. Not even Snowstar, although the mere thought of her brought forth a spark of fear.

The moon began to lower itself down into the horizon. Looking around, Hareleap saw that all the others were trying to catch some sleep before Petalbreeze got them going again. Lowering his head on his paws, he closed his eyes and attempted to do the same.

With Petalbreeze at his side, he realized, he didn't feel quite as lonely, either.

...

"Wake up! We've got to move!" Petalbreeze's commanding voice rudely tore Hareleap from what must have been a light doze as he struggled to rise. The moon had vanished from the sky; in its place stretched the beams of the sun, just beginning to ascend.

Petalbreeze made sure that they wasted no time in regrouping and setting back out. In mere moments they were off again, sprinting through the grass with renewed energy and fueled by a raw, fiery determination. The sun rose and beat down on their backs, reminding them of the inescapable passage of time.

Hareleap flew alongside the others, panting but unwilling to show any signs of weakness. He didn't want to think about it, but he couldn't help it any longer. What were they doing with her? The mere thought of it caused him to push harder and pound his paws with even more force into the earth. But, why had they taken her? What was the point to all of it? The questions raged within his heart, burning and aching and lacking answers.

Despite their rapid pace, by the time the exhausted and grim party of MeadowClan warriors finally arrived outside the glooming forest of CreviceClan territory, the sun had finished its passage in the sky and was just beginning to sink back down. They took a moment to recover their breath before Petalbreeze gathered them all together into a close circle and, eyes aglow with spirit, began discussing their plan of action.

"So, first of all, without a doubt, Snowstar knows we're coming. If what Hareleap says is true, and Fishsplash has been taken here, then they'll be expecting us to come after her, of course. Snowstar is crafty; she's defeated us before and if we don't do this right then it will happen again today for sure."

Here she grasped a nearby twig in her jaws and traced a rough outline of the area in the dirt, marking the CreviceClan camp and their current position with loose circles.

"We're going to do this and we're going to do it right," she repeated, gazing out at all of them. "They know we're coming but they don't know exactly when. There's a chance that we can surprise them here and we've got to use this to our advantage. I've been thinking and I might have a way that we can do this. It's simple, but it should work…"

By the time the moon resurfaced, the now heavily detailed sketch in the dirt was implanted in all of their minds, and an elaborate attack plan had been formed. The evening was cool and misty, darkening the already sinister forest that lay just a few steps away. They all lined up, ready to play their parts and face the savage CreviceClan once and for all.

Hareleap stood alongside the others, but with the light fog settling around them he felt as though he stood alone. He shivered. While he appreciated Petalbreeze's confidence at a time when he needed it the most, it wasn't enough to ease his state of mind. Rather, in that brief moment that seemed like an eternity, just before they entered the territory of his home Clan, his mind was whirring furiously.

This was it. Here he was, backed by members of MeadowClan, about to enter the place that he had suffered in for most of his days, with the life of his sister in jeopardy. Looking out at those ebony trees stretching on endlessly before his eyes brought forth a familiar wave of deep-rooted terror. Then he thought of the white face that dwelled not far ahead, and that sly, cruel grin, and he suddenly wanted to run away and forget the whole expedition.

Planting his paws in the dirt, he grit his teeth and with some effort managed to shove his panic to the side. He thought of Petalbreeze and let her confidence seep back into his bones. He was here to save his sister; there was no time for cowardice now. Every second he wasted meant more time for them do as they pleased with her, and with that thought crowding out all the others in his mind, he nodded to the others and leapt forward with them, plunging into the depths of CreviceClan territory.

Instantly the atmosphere grew tense. "Split up; take your positions," Petalbreeze whispered down the line, bounding forward to play her role.

He had gone only a few steps when Hareleap was seized suddenly by an uncontrollable, instinctive feeling that something was wrong. Leaves crinkled off to the left; a black form moved amongst the shadows. He tried to give a shout, to move, to follow along with the plan, but dread trapped him like a claw, choking him and preventing him from action. The tall, menacing trees around him brought forth not just the memories of his time underneath their shadows, but the emotions as well.

"Let's go!" cried Petalbreeze's voice from far away. Suddenly more alert, Hareleap realized the others had gone ahead. Shaking the reluctance from his tired legs, he dashed forward to meet them, hurrying when he saw with a shiver of fear more figures darting all around him, quick and silent as the night and definitely not from MeadowClan.

Drawing forth one great raggedy breath, he started to cry, "Petalbre-", but he was quickly cut off when a paw shot from the darkness behind him with the speed of a rattlesnake and knocked him hard on the head.

He sputtered and, stunned, could do nothing as shadows lifted themselves out from the trees and revealed themselves to be cats, dripping heavily with black, oozing mud and hatred. A force behind him shoved him roughly to the ground, causing him to cry out in agony when he landed on his bad leg. With hazy, glazed eyes he watched the masters quickly dispatch the rest of the group just ahead, although he distinctively remembered hearing Petalbreeze's screams of refusal and then pain as they forced her to submit. He realized dimly that they had been there all along, blending in with the shadows and listening, always listening…

Dark shapes blurred together before his eyes, and before long his agony softened as unconsciousness took its hold. Cackling laughs echoed throughout the forest, directed at the warriors of MeadowClan lying in the dirt, defeated in a matter of moments.

...

Immediately upon witnessing their defeat, a small figure leaped out from the bushes and raced away, kicking up leaves into the air in her haste. Her chest heaved with exhaustion from having just run long and hard, but newfound fear at the scene she had just left drove her on.

She couldn't stand just waiting around and watching them go to what just might now be their deaths. Even though she should have stayed behind, she couldn't help but sneak out after them. The suspense was too strong, and besides; CreviceClan had ruined her. Endless sadness and pain had tormented her after what they had done. Now was her chance to shine; she could feel it in her heart. Someone had to tell, to announce the dreadful news. If she played the role of the messenger and sent the word home, then perhaps there could be a chance of rescuing them.

The wind whirled around her, catching her fur and tearing at her eyes. She squeezed them shut, tears stinging her cheeks as she remembered how they fell, defeated and hopeless. _I'll save you!_ she cried in her mind, stumbling with exhaustion but not allowing herself to falter. _But I couldn't save my brother…_

The next day, the moon revealed with its gaze a tiny and shivering form on the verge of consciousness, padding softly on bleeding paws. Fernleaf, who couldn't sleep due to her anxious state of mind, left her post by Violetstar's side and rushed outside to catch the young apprentice's head as she fell to the ground.

"MeadowClan was…defeated," rasped Mistpaw, and then she let herself go.

**I return with more sudden sneak attacks, more fade-outs, and more cliffhangers! How great is that?**


	22. Wake

The world was black. Hareleap blinked open one eye, seeing nothing and hearing nothing besides the throbbing of his own heart. His head was ringing and his whole body felt encased and unmovable, sore and aching. When he made an attempt to stand up, he found that he was indeed unable to; something hard and knobby had inextricably bound him down. Finding that his head was loose, he lifted his chin from the cold stone floor and rather painfully surveyed his surroundings.

He was lying in some sort of narrow cavern with a sagging ceiling and tough rock walls. Moonlight appeared to be drifting in from the right, although he couldn't turn his head enough to see. The occasional bit of moss was scattered about the walls, and he noted a tiny brown beetle scurry swiftly out of his sight.

Upon waking up no real thought had yet to occur to him, but at the sight of the beetle Hareleap jerked suddenly with realization and images came rushing back to him, overflowing his still drowsy mind with emotions, fears, and sights.

MeadowClan had been defeated. His pupils dilated and his body shook with trepidation as the scene replayed itself before his eyes; the CreviceClan cats, they had dispatched them so quickly and effortlessly. All their plans and hopes, crushed just like that. What had he been thinking, pushing them to attack when they had never even stood a chance? Not only had he lost Fishsplash to the dark maw of CreviceClan, but now half of MeadowClan as well!

_Fishsplash!_ Her name rippled through him like a bolt of lightning. He raised his head again and tried thrashing about, but to no avail; he was bound too firmly. Judging from his surroundings, he must have been placed in one of the crevices in the rocky mountainside that CreviceClan had built its camp around. He may not have entered the camp in victory, but Fishsplash and maybe the others had to be somewhere in the camp too. Perhaps there was still a shred of hope to cling to; perhaps they could still be saved. But he couldn't bear the thought of the condition that Snowstar and her masters might have reduced them too.

Gritting his teeth, he tried to shake loose again, straining against his unknown holder with all his strength. He ceased his futile efforts instantly upon seeing two slender paws as white as a fresh sheet of snow enter his field of vision. He had heard no sound of her entering.

"Ah, I see you have awakened at last." A cold shiver ran through his skin upon hearing her sickly sweet voice. The paws began to pace about before him.

"You know, it's been a little while since we've had a nice chat, hasn't it? I've missed you all this time you've been frolicking in the meadow with your pansy-hearted friends. But of course, I do hope that you have been enjoying my…surprises?"

Hareleap winced, picturing all that she had forced Violetstar to put him through. The toxic deathberries, the rushing river, the crazed fox, and then the capture of beloved sister; all had caused him so much pain and heartache, and now he lay at the mercy of her feet. She could do whatever she pleased with him.

Summoning any shred of courage that may have been lurking within reach, Hareleap lifted his gaze as far as he could and managed to choke, "Where is…Fishplash…?"

The name just barely escaped from his mouth when Snowstar paused, one paw still in midstride. "Ah, cutting to the chase already, are we? Where's the fun in that."

A pair of gleaming blue eyes, seen so often in the darkness of his mind, blinked in front of his own, appearing so suddenly and unexpectedly that Hareleap jolted, fear crackling along his spine. He flinched and shut his own eyes, but to his surprise, instead of the blow that he was expecting, he felt a warm tongue rasping at his left ear, licking off blood that was caked there. A cold, yet soothing voice whispered in his ear, the tone more gentle than before.

"Listen, let's forget all of what has happened, shall we? I think it's time that I shared some of my thoughts with you, my dear son."

Hareleap shivered, wanting more than anything to be away from the cat that crouched before him. He kept his eyes firmly closed, but he knew her cold gaze was still fixated on him.

"You see, when you and your sisters were first born, I never imagined that you could be of any use." Her breath rustled the fur of his ear, and he quivered with every word. "As measly kits you were all so dimwitted and ignorant, demanding for my attention and milk and providing nothing in return. I would have simply fed you to the foxes without much thought if my mate hadn't convinced me otherwise. Any kit could make a good slave, after all…

"But as you began to mature, I noticed something about you, my son. While you quite accurately maintained the proper etiquette of the CreviceClan apprentice, I saw there was something more underneath, a part of you that perhaps you may not even be very aware of. I first noticed this on one of the last nights you spent as a kit in my den. Your stupid sisters were snoring placidly, but in your sleep you were thrashing violently about, spitting and growling with an unnatural rage. There was a drop of crimson blood on your teeth."

Hareleap froze, his outward fear blanketing him like a dark cloud cover and quieting his limbs. He listened in a strange silence as she continued, pacing once more and talking faster and louder.

"Oh, I remember it so clearly! The realization struck me boldly; I laughed in victorious glee, for from then on I knew who my successor would be. It was a sign sent from the Dark Forest; a great leader will you be! Yes, Hareheart, my son, you are destined to be the next ruler of CreviceClan!"

_NonononoNONONO! _The heavy emotions of shock and dread gripped him harder than ever, descending upon him like a shadowy claw that cut off all other thoughts and rendered him helpless before her. He couldn't speak; he couldn't breathe. Leader of CreviceClan? No position could be as horrifying to him.

But she wasn't finished speaking. "You were always different from your sisters; capable of much more important things. Fishreek and Thornhide, they were both so pathetic and "good-hearted". They had no concept of _hatred_ like you and I do, hmm? I am so delighted that you inherited the best of my qualities. You know, I gave you your pitiful apprentice name knowing you would someday conquer it. You, my son, never possessed the heart of a hare. Rather, all along you had the heart of a deathly fire."

Hareleap kept his face to the ground, absorbing all of her words with utmost terror, and yet…he remembered those few times when he had experienced the power of raw rage and blackness of heart. He had been furious, so furious when Hollyheart had killed Thornpaw. And he had felt it before the fox attacked, when he had been demanding for it to make an appearance. That flare of red emotion had seemed so unlike him, and yet, was it lurking in the depths of heart, waiting to flare up and consume him entirely? Not too long ago he had torn up that mouse while hunting as well…

"I was initially rather distraught, of course, when I learned of your escape to that wretched _MeadowClan_, but I soon gained control of the situation; no fear. I was playing you all along, capturing their camp quite easily, might I say, and allowing you to escape back upon the journey home. Oh, yes, didn't you notice that I was gone awfully long? I wanted to test you, you see; see how you would respond to internal and external conflict, the death of one dear to you, and the taste of "freedom", whatever that word even implies. From what my scouts informed me, your responses could use some reforming, but I can get you on the road to success, don't you worry. You'll be leading alongside me in no time."

Her words cackled and circled him in a black ring of prickly thorns, stinging every piece of his soul, but one phrase echoed more grimly in his mind than the rest. _The death of one dear to you._ A strangled cry erupted from his aching throat, splashing into the world without his permission.

"Did…did you intend for Thornpaw to die?"

He thought she would laugh at the childishness of his comment, and be annoyed that he hadn't given attention to the message of her speech. Instead, Snowstar pressed against him, resuming the whispery tone she had assumed earlier. "Oh, you renamed her in that Clan, didn't you? How sweet of you. Now, listen, I may have, but that doesn't matter now, does it? She was nothing; just a sad little scrap of fur, worthless and taking up space. We can forget about her, can't we? Let's look at the bigger picture here! You-"

She stopped upon seeing the salty tears that were leaking from his eyes and spilling onto the ground. Hareleap quaked all over; a fresh wave of grief enveloped him, now overshadowed by the hideous remarks his mother had claimed of her own daughter. Thornpaw had been such a sweet, innocent soul, and it hurt him deep inside to hear how Snowstar spoke of her.

For a moment there was no sound in the room other than the small breaths of his silent sobbing. Then there came the sound of a paw being raised, and before he knew what had happened, Hareleap felt the agonizing ripping sensation of claws through the flesh of his cheek, and his face hit the cold stone floor, hard. He cried out, gasping as he watched his blood flow out along the ground.

"You hideous worm!" Her voice screamed at him from somewhere far away, terrible and full of rage. "How _dare_ you display such weakness in my presence! You should be ashamed of yourself. Don't you know how _disgusted_ that makes me?"

Amidst the red haze that fogged up his mind, Hareleap could hear the strain in her voice as she raged on, choking on each word that followed.

"I am handing you this position with an open paw; how dare you refuse my generosity! I'll have you know that I _slaved_ through endless moons of agony and humiliation, far worse than anything your little mouse brain could comprehend! I was just a little kit, but I was beaten, disgraced, and blamed for little thing that ever went wrong. The other apprentices were barely touched because I became the favored object of abuse! And so I _clawed _my way through all of them; I showed them who was really the stronger one! Oh, I showed them all! But I did it by the rattling of my bones and the glint of my fangs and their blood and dignity poured over me in floods of victory!"

She stood in front of him, panting wildly and casting her eyes in every direction as if recalling the scene. Then she whipped her face next to his, tail lashing and spit flying out of her mouth. "But, _you! _I dangle the power in your face, and I try to be _nice,_ and I try to be _gentle,_ and you reward me with those revolting tears of yours! You sniveling mouse! Get on your paws and come with me,_ now._ I _will_ name you as a master, and you _will_ act under my command. I expect to see more from you, and if I don't, then you can expect that serious consequences will follow."

And with that, she reared up and look as if she were about to strike him again. Hareleap cowered, frightened, but instead she slashed right through whatever had been bounding him to the ground. He stared up at her, seeing his mother's expression as she faced him, her jaws wide and drawn back, and eyes dripping with malice and venom. Before he could attempt to move, she hauled him up to his feet and shoved him forward, hissing and leading him towards the door.

A glance over his shoulder informed him that he had been held the whole time by a thick and grisly-looking root snaking out of the ground of the cavern. Hareleap then hung his head and turned to follow his mother out, knowing better than to try and refuse. As he stumbled after her, he thought only of the immense pain in her voice as she had screamed at him, and he imagined that he would never know to the full extend just how much her first seasons in CreviceClan had afflicted her.

**And things start to get a bit dark. Don't worry; it'll end well, I assure you! Just a few more chapters to go.**


	23. Master

Pushing past with hurried impatience, Snowstar approached the center of the camp and leaped upon the Highledge without hesitation. Hareleap followed with his head low and paws dragging, being careful to avoid eye contact with the hostile faces gaining interest in him. He climbed clumsily onto the Highledge next to his mother.

"Cats of CreviceClan, gather around for a Clan meeting!" commanded Snowstar, her voice ringing throughout the clearing. As customary, the deputy and masters filled out the inner circle spreading out from the Highledge, standing tall and imposingly, while those of a lower status hung cautiously in the back of the crowd, brushing tails over scarred paws and looking up with scared yet curious eyes.

"Yesterday we conquered an attacking force of the pitiful MeadowClan. They came here expecting a fight, and we gave it to them, did we not?" A harsh, thundering cackling sound erupted from the throats of many of the masters. Snowstar grinned mischievously, delighting in their enthusiasm, before promptly silencing them with a swift wave of her tail.

"They will no longer pose a threat to us. We are, and shall always remain, the superior Clan. To keep it this way, the strongest of these defeated warriors will remain here as prisoners. The rest of them will be released to scurry home with fresh wounds to their sun-loving friends back at home. This ought to teach that foolish Clan, and its wretched leader, their place."

This time Snowstar silenced the jubilant cries of triumph that followed more quickly, her tone shifting as she prepared to address the central matter of the meeting.

"Now, I am sure you have noticed the familiar face who stands beside me tonight. You will remember him as Hareheart, a former apprentice and also my only son who trained here not too long ago. After being defeated yesterday along with those fools, he has agreed to return to his home Clan as a member once again. He has shown promise, and I believe is deserving of a promotion."

Hareleap tensed as the other masters eyed him with burning attentiveness, sizing him up as Snowstar spoke. Even from the high vantage point, they appeared to him as monsters in proportion and behavior. Under the cold gaze of the moon, their jagged, stained teeth gleamed and their claws flexed as if in remembrance of the last time they tore through flesh. Their sharp gaze was penetrating and unmerciful, and it had indeed not been such a long time since he had stood before them upon the same ledge as Snowstar named him an apprentice.

He had changed, but they had not. And he did not wish to dwell among them, even as one of their own.

But there was no stopping Snowstar as she continued to declare his sentence. "Therefore, before the ever-knowing spirits of the Dark Forest, I, Snowstar, offer this apprentice the privilege of becoming a master of CreviceClan. Do you accept this offer, Hareheart?"

Snowstar tactfully tilted her head to pierce Hareleap with her cold, expectant gaze. Beneath that smoldering look, there was only one suitable answer to her question.

"I…" Hareleap couldn't help but choke up in his speech, overtaken by the grim silence that permeated the camp. Although he so desperately wished he had a choice, he knew in his heart that he had never really had one.

"I do."

"Very well. Then by the might of the Dark Forest, I give you your new name. Hareheart, from this moment on you will be known as Blackheart. The Dark Forest smiles on your accomplishments, and we receive you now as a full master of CreviceClan."

As the crowd called out his name, some with more enthusiasm than others, Snowstar hissed under her breath to him, eyes flashing angrily.

"I have given you the edge that I never had, Hareheart. Prove to me that you are worthy of my expectations and the new name I have blessed you with, and I will know you as my son once more. But until then, you are just another rat in my eyes."

With that, Snowstar pushed off of the Highledge with a graceful thrust and, upon landing, advanced towards a battle-scarred, spotted brown master crouching at the edge of the crowd. Hareleap stood uncertainly, his ears drawn back as he heard his new name repeated through a chorus of threatening voices.

_Blackheart. _Of all the names he had received thus far, it was the most profound. It settled unwell with him, pricking him with unpleasant thoughts. He trembled as he observed his mother's sharp and snowy figure from below, and he bowed his head as her threats and promises swirled around and around in his mind.

"Hey, Blackheart!" The crowd was beginning to disperse, but the master whom Snowstar had been speaking with earlier was standing just below the Highledge, glaring up at Hareleap and beckoning for him to come down. Confused and disturbed at the direct use of his new name, Hareleap stumbled off of the ledge and padded cautiously towards the brown cat.

"Apparently you're Snowstar's favorite pet now," the master growled, his fur ruffled in annoyance. "She's ordered that I hand my apprentice over to you. I'd care more if she were of any use, but she's just a puny little runt. Have fun with her, if you know what I mean." Licking his thorn-sharp claws, the grumbling cat meandered off.

Beside the tom shivered a tiny tortoiseshell she-cat sporting several dried, ugly wounds. When her old master left, she lifted her eyes slightly to peek at Hareleap, and then drew back with a mew as if expecting a blow.

Overwhelmed with sympathy for this poor cat, Hareleap stepped softly closer to her, careful to appear as unthreatening as possible. She continued to tremble, too afraid to move, and it occurred to him then how strongly she reminded him of Thornpaw. Choking back a cry, he gently asked her for her name.

"B-Birdcaw," she stuttered, slowly moving her tail away from her face. Growing bolder, she ventured to ask, "You're not going to hurt me like the others?"

Smiling slightly, Hareleap brushed briefly against her in an attempt to reassure her. "I don't intend to, no."

Birdcaw's eyes grew wide with delight, but as she mewed gratefully, a harsh and disturbingly familiar voice sounded from afar. "Making friends with your apprentice, I see?"

Hareleap looked up to see a smoky black she-cat approaching them, her amber eyes blazing. Her face brought forth fresh memories of the time when he had escaped from returning to CreviceClan, or so he had thought. And she had been there when Thornpaw died…

Driven by a ferocious anger, Hollyheart shoved him roughly to the ground and stood over him, spitting with rage. "Listen, I don't get why Snowstar thinks you're so special all of a sudden, but you're not fooling me. You nearly _killed _me, you jerk!"

Pinning him down with her paws, she hissed angrily. "You better start shaping up, or else I, and the other _real_ masters, will teach you how to behave properly around here."

She released him and Hareleap struggled to rise, uncomfortable at the looks and snickers he was receiving. It had been a little while since he had been given such treatment; his pelt burned now with remembrance.

"You can start with training your apprentice the right way. Give her some daunting tasks, and a few slash marks to hit it home. You remember how it works, right?" Grinning savagely, she stalked off, whipping Birdcaw in the cheek with her long, thick tail as she passed her.

Hareleap stared after for a moment, horrified, when he caught a glimpse of another familiar form, sleek and black with slanted brown eyes that blinked slowly at him from across the clearing.

_Pantherclaw. _

"Come on, let's go." Nudging Birdcaw gently, he led her towards the camp exit, focusing solely on walking purposely and without obvious fear. Scared and puzzled, Birdcaw tottered after him, glancing over her shoulder in an attempt to discover what was going on.

"Why do you wish to exit the camp?" questioned a tall, muscular tom guarding the entrance. He stared at Hareleap and Birdcaw with piercing, narrowed eyes, clearly skeptical.

"I'd like to train my apprentice, sir," Hareleap responded as coolly as he could. "If you'd allow me, that is."

The tom nodded with approval. "Very well. But as you are a new member and there is no reason for us to trust you yet, I will send someone to see you are doing your job."

"Thank you." Checking to make sure Birdcaw was still with him, Hareleap pushed his way through the black, thorny tunnel and emerged outside the camp. He moved several paces off to the side and collapsed gratefully. A few moments later Birdcaw burst through the tunnel as well and made her way over to him, looking uncertain.

"Why are we out here?" she asked innocently, settling beside him.

"I just…I just need a moment to think," he told her, covering his head with his paws. A thousand speculations were assailing him all at once, and his head swam with it all. He had been ambushed, crushed, struck in the face, been reintroduced to his terrifying old home and Clanmates, named again, given an apprentice, and put under great pressure all within the past day or so. Taking a deep breath, he slowly lifted his head and gazed at Birdcaw, who was looking back at him with a concerned expression.

"I don't want to hurt you, Birdcaw," Hareleap explained, sighing. "I was an apprentice here not too long ago and I remember it all too well. It was a dark time for me, and I was abused terribly. But it was all I had ever known, and so I thought that all cats lived the way CreviceClan does. I thought there was nothing better out there for me."

Placing a paw on her shoulder, he lifted his gaze to see the clear night sky shining through the grisly branches of the tall, dry trees. The moon was setting, and a slight breeze rustled his fur. "But there _is_ a better place out there! I was rescued from this grim, terrible place and brought to a gorgeous green meadow painted with thousands of colorful flowers. And I was welcomed by smiling, friendly cats who lived their lives devoted to honor, respect, and love."

Birdcaw brightened at his description, closing her eyes and imagining the sight herself. "If I ever escape from CreviceClan again, then I'll take you with me, okay?"

"Okay," Birdcaw whispered, opening her eyes slightly and wrapping her tail around herself as if she were cold. "I'd like that."

Strong emotion pulled at Hareleap's heart and he covered her with his tail too and held her close for a moment. He could almost smell Thornpaw's scent in the air, and remembering what Snowstar had implied about her earlier, he lowered his head in sorrow.

Finally he stood up and looked about the old, blackened territory in a sort of mild, dizzy state. A dead leaf fell from above and landed gracefully next to his paw.

"That guard could send someone out here any moment now," he mused quietly. "I suppose we can go train then; let's start with some hunting, shall we? I'll do my best to act harsh, but I promise I won't really hurt you."

"Thank you, Blackheart," mewed Birdcaw as she rose alongside him.

"Please, call me Hareleap. It's my name from the Clan in the meadow; I much prefer it." As he spoke, Hareleap began to pad away from the camp, keeping any eye out for prey.

"Okay, Hareleap." Birdcaw sprinted to catch up with him, and fell into a pace to match his, ears and eyes alert too. "You're a much better master than Spottedtalon."

**I overwhelmed myself with this chapter, haha. Not as much content exactly, but a whole lot of dialogue! Enjoy the new character, and I hope I can deliver again soon. I'm aiming to finish this story before my summer break ends, so here's hoping! **


	24. Prisoners

**Hey, so I'm back from the dead! I know I've said this before, but I do intend to finish it this time over the summer. Just a couple more chapters to go. Thanks for sticking with me!**

**...**

"Do you know any cool hunting tricks, Hareleap? My old master never taught me anything." Birdcaw ducked her head at her request, but her eyes shone bright with excitement.

While Hareleap was amused at her enthusiasm, he glanced twice around his shoulder before whispering, "You know, I'm still new to hunting myself, but I would love to teach you a few things. However, we could have a cat on our tail this very moment, so I'm going to have to put on an air similar to that of your old master for now. Don't take it to heart, okay?"

Birdcaw's brow furrowed in understanding and she nodded quietly before following Hareleap as he led her into the woods to find prey. He let her have at it and watched from afar as she stalked through the forest, swaying off balance somewhat, but still stepping lightly and with careful attentiveness. Despite his admiration for her performance, he reluctantly retained the mask of silent disdain that most other CreviceClan masters wore when they looked upon their apprentices. Knowing that they were most certainly being watched at that point, he forced himself to scoff and spit when Birdcaw presented a considerable amount of prey, and he turned back towards camp without complementing her on her commendable performance. He hated himself for it, and felt terrible when he glanced over his shoulder to see Birdcaw falling behind with her load, looking pained. A master would never stoop so low as to help his apprentice, and he turned his sympathetic gaze away quickly with a heavy sigh.

Why was he doing this? He realized with a start that he had become a fearful figure, a master, known throughout the lower class of CreviceClan and all of MeadowClan for being heartless and cruel. How did he go from charging into these lands as part of a valiant force to tramping the same grounds as a CreviceClan master? The story he had related with Birdcaw had not only been told to inspire her, but he had also shared it to remind himself of the good heart of MeadowClan. Looking down at his dusty paws, he yearned to feel the cool whispery texture of the grass about his feet, and to be soaring across the green fields with his MeadowClan Clanmates.

As he dreamed wistfully of MeadowClan, he remembered suddenly that Snowstar had mentioned that some of the prisoners would be released. The names of Fishsplash and Petalbreeze instantly sprang to his mind, reigniting his desperate urge to discover their whereabouts.

"Birdcaw-"

Startled, a few birds fell out of Birdcaw's mouth as she stood rigid and responded instinctively, "Yes, master?"

The sight of the little she-cat's scarred body heaving as she drew in deep breaths, clearly exhausted by the weight of her catches, engraved itself into Hareleap's mind and his pelt burned with shame. He would never forgive himself for this.

"Uh-" He shook his head, struggling to regain his composure. "I'm going ahead! Return your prey to the pile and you can be done for today." At her expectant look he added, "I can't hang around all day with dirt like you!" and raced away towards the camp.

His paws devouring the ground beneath him, he silently cursed himself for not looking for Fishsplash and Petalbreeze earlier. Had they already been released as he was out with Birdcaw? While that would be a good thing, and he wished terribly that they wouldn't have to stay in CreviceClan, he did want to see to see them for what could very well be the last time before they left.

In his blind dash towards the camp he had barely noticed what was ahead of him, and so he nearly collided with a tall white CreviceClan master exiting the camp.

"Get out of the way," the master hissed, shoving him thoughtlessly aside. "Prisoners are coming through."

Cringing, Hareleap struggled back to his paws and could only watch in grim horror as his MeadowClan Clanmates shuffled through the camp entrance one by one, their heads low and shoulders drooping. The spirit that they had displayed as they charged into CreviceClan territory had vanished, replaced with a sad sense of hopelessness. They had clearly been poorly treated as prisoners, as they were all thin and bedraggled, their pelts glistening with numerous open wounds. Their gait was slow and pained, and Hareleap stiffened as they moved past him with hardly a glance in his direction.

Then he caught sight of a familiar silver pelt at the back of the line of prisoners, and he felt a jolt of relief as he recognized the form. _Fishsplash!_

She was no better than the others, her eyes glazed over and blood dripping from multiple wounds. As with the cats before her, her usual life and courageous energy had been drained from her. It killed him to see her looking so defeated. As she began to move past him, her scarred tail dragging in the dirt behind her, he couldn't help himself from crying out her name.

"Fishsplash!"

At his call his sister stirred, a small spark of life flashing in her eyes as she realized who was calling her. He instinctively moved towards her, wishing he could wrap himself around her and shield her from the pain.

"H-Hareleap," she breathed, shaking her head ever slightly. "I'm sorry…"

Confused, he slowed his advance and wondered what she could be sorry for, when he realized that one of the masters flanking the prisoners was watching him. The dark, smoldering look with thinly veiled suspicion struck him hard, and he stopped instantly in his tracks.

It occurred to him then the conditions upon which he was now living. If he dared to show too much weakness, then the CreviceClan masters could dispatch him easily and without Snowstar's knowledge, if they pleased. It was imperative that he maintained at least a somewhat decent reputation if he planned on waking up alive every morning in CreviceClan. He certainly didn't wish to bend entirely to regain his mother's favor, but he had to keep his head on his shoulders so that one day he might see his sister and Clanmates again. Therefore, he couldn't be seen sharing such emotions with her.

With these new thoughts planting themselves firmly like seeds in his mind, he shared glances with Fishsplash once more before she nodded slowly and disappeared into the bracken.

The master stood briefly and narrowed her eyes at him before leaping after them. Left alone, Hareleap stared at the space where his sister had stood for one long moment, the powerlessness of his situation weighing down on him.

…

Trudging back into camp, drained of energy and the open wound on his face still burning, Hareleap rested on the hard ground and cast a dreary gaze across the expanse of the clearing. By then it was very late into the night, and most of the masters had retired into the den for the day. By the absence of Birdcaw he assumed she must have left already, gone to wherever she chose to sleep every night.

As he rose to join the other masters, still scarcely believing that he was one of them, he found his gaze traveling up the great rocky wall that formed the Clan, his body stiff with concentration as he scanned the many crevices in the wall. Snowstar had kept some prisoners, and as he had not seen Petalbreeze leaving the camp with the others, she must be among them. He had to find her.

Keeping a close eye on the few masters who still lounged around outside, he slipped carefully behind a rock and hurried up a dusty slope, the same one he had descended from after his initial confrontation with Snowstar. She had kept him in one of the caverns; there must be others where the prisoners were being held. A rock caught under his paw and he almost tripped, regaining his balance just in time. He knew it was a mad effort, and even if he found them he could likely do nothing to help them, but that desperate urge that had gripped him before still held him tight; he cared for these cats, and he had to at least try.

Panting with exhaustion, Hareleap breathed a sigh of relief when the slope leveled out under his paws. He looked up to see a small flat clearing, surrounded by the rising jagged walls of the cliff. Immediately a crevice that looked wide enough to fit several cats came into view, and he hurried towards it and peeked inside. A few pieces of moss hung from the ceiling, but otherwise it proved to be cold and empty. A chill finger of air reached from the fissure, ruffling his fur. Hareleap shivered and turned away, overtaken suddenly by a penetrating sense of loneliness.

"H-Hareleap, is that you?"

Hareleap started and turned towards the sound of the voice to see another crevice in the wall, blocked by a very large boulder. Towards the bottom a crack shown through between the wall and the boulder, and a familiar set of blue eyes shone from the darkness inside.

"Petalbreeze?" Hareleap breathed, scarcely believing it. Exhaustion covered him like a soft blanket, and as he crouched down low so he could meet her gaze, he felt as though he were dreaming. Then he remembered his sister's treatment, and added worriedly," Are you okay? What have they done to you?"

"Hareleap…" Her voice was small and sad, sapped of its former energy just as Fishsplash had been.

"You must be hurt, all of you." Hareleap quivered in concern; if she neglected to say, then he knew it was bad. "I-I can go and find some herbs and food maybe, and slip it through this crack-"

"No, there's nothing you can do, Hareleap. I-I don't think there's much any of us can do now. There's no hope for us here. As for MeadowClan…Snowstar may have given us grace for now, but her thirst for power will soon have her waging war on us again as we have been since the dawn of these Clans. MeadowClan is the weakest it has ever been. It will soon give way to the hunger of CreviceClan."

"No, it can't be." Hareleap's voice choked with emotion. He pictured that beautiful meadow under the terrible rule of CreviceClan, all the happiness and joy torn away and the system of master and apprentice established there where he once received relief from it.

"No, no, no. I-I didn't know this could happen; how could I be so foolish..."

"Hareleap, stop; none of us knew it would turn out so badly. It's not your fault. If anything, I led the attack; I should be the one to take responsibility. I thought I had planned it perfectly, but now I see that I was the fool."

Salty tears sprung to his eyes; Hareleap hung his head and found he had no words.

"Uh, Hareleap, how did you get here?" Petalbreeze inquired softly, mostly to break through the terrible despair that hung over them. "Are you an apprentice here again? I thought she would give up on you by now."

"No," he murmured, the tears ceasing as he stared at his paws in quiet thought. "I suppose she thinks I can be of use…and she might be right."

"What do you mean?" Petalbreeze leaned forward, clearly concerned.

"Petalbreeze, I'm not sure what if I can trust myself anymore," Hareleap began worriedly, "She's sensed that I have a tendency to …ignite, and she thinks that if she can get that side to take over me, then I would be a fearless and terrible leader. I'm a CreviceClan master now."

"Oh, no…" Her voice grew quiet as if she were recalling something.

"What is it?"

"Hareleap, there's something you should know," she whispered, shifting to gain a better position. "You see, as the elders told me when I was a kit, there was no CreviceClan at first. All the cats of the region saw they could live better as one group, and so they formed MeadowClan and made the meadow their home. They lived happily for a time, but eventually many of them grew bitter and wanted their own way.

Among them was one cat who got along with the others well, but at night he would sneak off forest and come back in the morning with bloody paws. Though he meant well, he possessed a terrible anger inside his heart, and he tried to take it out every night on the mice and other animals of the land. But he never spoke to anyone about it, and the anger swelled and grew until it burst forth into every fiber of his being and he lashed out violently at the others for the smallest of reasons.

Well, he got together with the group of cats who wanted nothing to do with MeadowClan, and formed a Clan based upon violence and abuse of power, later named CreviceClan."

Hareleap stared, his fur tense as he took in the story. "So you're saying…"

"Maybe it's crazy to think this, and it probably is, but what if StarClan gave you that same rage, as a sort of test? Do you think, maybe, if you can control your anger, and swallow it as the first cat should have done, then CreviceClan will somehow fall apart, and MeadowClan can be restored to its former glory?"

"StarClan…" He lifted his gaze to the night sky, his mouth hung open in awe. "So it's like a curse, and I could be the one to break it?"

"I don't know." Petalbreeze gave a sigh, and then winced from the pain that it caused her. Her tone hardened. "No, I really don't know. I can't see how this could happen anyway. CreviceClan has complete control over us; there's nothing you can do even if you did control yourself."

She turned her gaze away, leaving the crack empty and dark. "I'm sorry for giving you false hope with this nonsense; I led MeadowClan into disaster and now we all must pay. Go to sleep, okay? Don't worry about us."

A drop of rain splashed onto his nose. Hareleap stared blankly at the empty space, his mind suddenly dull from exhaustion. "Wait, Petalbreeze, if I don't see you again…"

The eyes returned, and Petalbreeze breathed quietly through the crack. "Goodbye Hareleap. I'm sorry for being so dismal, and I'm sorry I let you down."

Another drop hit his nose and rolled down his cheek, until a light downpour enveloped the scene. Hareleap put a paw to the crack and felt her paw meet with his in a brief moment of warmth.

"Goodbye."

Then he was turning away, knowing no more could be said, and as he picked his way back down the slope, stepping carefully, the rain mixed with his tears and wet his fur until it hung as low as his spirit. Fishplash, Petalbreeze, Thornpaw… all of his loved ones had been torn from him, and now he could see no hope in his future. All of his hope had rested in MeadowClan to save him from the horrors of CreviceClan, and soon it would be gone, too.

_Empty, empty_, rang his hollow heart.


End file.
